Pingdu, a county-level city in Qingdao of Shandong province, has made construction of a park city a top priority as it continues to create green public spaces that are accessible, comfortable, region-specific and people-friendly.

Over the past year, Pingdu has built more than 20 pocket parks, two large comprehensive parks, seven tree-lined corridors, 29 green spaces and a total of 1.2 million square meters of new and renovated green spaces. The city's per capita park and green space area now stands at 13.31 sq m, and in keeping with the citizen-friendly perspective, it has formed an integrated green space system interconnecting pocket parks, tree-lined corridors, waterfront greenways, rivers and roads.

For urban renewal and development, Pingdu has made the voices of the people its top priority, and construction of the park city is seen as a crucial lever for improving the environment and happiness of residents. A prime example is the tree-lined corridor project along the Xianhe River at the intersection of Tianjin Road and Hangzhou Road, which was completed in July. "Previously, this section of the river had a lot of garbage and smelled bad in the summer. Everyone hoped for an improvement in the environment. Now it has been realized," said resident Tan Li.

Zhang Xianhui, head of Pingdu's facilities and park city construction special command, said: "We integrated elements such as culture, fitness, entertainment and parking into the construction of the park city and focused on optimizing the details, making the parks more beautiful, warm and people-friendly, and continuously catering to the needs of different groups, including children, youth and seniors."

Another project that typifies Pingdu's commitment is the Shengshui Shanzhuang pocket park, which was previously an abandoned square. After comprehensive renovation in March, it has become an open, modern and multifunctional community park, incorporating fitness and entertainment facilities and local characteristics.

"The original walls were removed and it is now open and convenient for residents," said Zhang. "We considered the needs for parking and added a basketball court, children's playground and benches with handles and backrests for the convenience of the elderly."

The park embodies the design philosophy of Pingdu's folk art and showcases fashionable features by using local architecture and folk customs to illustrate the city's cultural content. "Now the park is just a few steps from our home and definitely feels like being in our own backyard," said resident Luo Shuangmei.

Pingdu's other projects include the Songshu Tribe Amusement Park, whale-shaped entertainment facilities, Changguang Lake Music Water Curtain, a 7.5-kilometer-long green corridor on the north side of Tianjin Road, greening facilities on Hangzhou Road and green space camping facilities.