Green Sanctuary in the City

Cherry Blossoms in High Park, Toronto

Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, 
bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 
through the middle of the street of the city. 
On either side of the river is the tree of life^* 
with its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month; 
and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

Revelation 22: 1-2

Our younger daughter, Emily, lives in Toronto, a concrete jungle in many respects. We are impressed, though, that she finds places of green sanctuary in different nooks and crannies of the city, around where she works right downtown, and in her neighbourhood a little to the west. Her apartment is actually not far from High Park, one of Toronto's gems, but she sends us photos from lunch breaks in small parks and gardens maintained by the city.



The Bentway, Toronto

As Toronto soars upward with condo buildings and other highrises there is a challenge to create sufficient green space to nourish the souls of residents. One of the newer parks is the Bentway which is underneath one of TO's busiest expressways and becomes an ice-skating oval in winter. 



There is a proposal for an elevated park, not unlike the High Line in New York City. It would be hugely expensive ($2 billion) to construct and the benefits difficult to measure when so much infrastructure work is necessary . Still, we are coming to realize that in a world that is becoming increasingly urbanized we don't function well without time amidst trees and flowers. 

I just found out that a Forest Bathing trail system is being developed in Markham where people can connect with nature in a contemplative way, on the model of the extensive parks in Japan which are actually part of the national health program. https://parkpeople.ca/2018/09/26/shinrin-yoku-markhams-new-forest-bathing-trail/

Pew Research just published a piece on urban parks which interviews several coordinators in major US cities. One of them Nette Compton, observes:

The role of the urban park continues to evolve, both in the performance of functional services, and our expectations for what purpose it can serve. As our nation and world become increasingly urban, we must rely more heavily on parks to provide us with many resources: open space and access to nature, recreation opportunities, environmental functions like storm water retention and cooling, beauty, and inspiration.

https://www.pewcenterarts.org/post/urban-parks-and-civic-life-insights-leaders-pa-horticultural-society-trust-public-land-high



Point Pleasant Park, Halifax

These parks are often oases from the din of cities as well, and establishing them as quiet places is becoming a priority as well. When we lived in the heart of Halifax we were blessed to live a short walk from Point Pleasant Park and went there often. 

I've noted before that the bible begins in a wilderness garden and end in an urban garden. Books generally begin with the best and end with the best, so those of us who are people of faith should pay attention, don't you think? 





The High Line, New York City