Chongqing - In Chongqing, one of China’s largest and fastest-growing cities, public space has become one of its most valuable resources. Built on steep hills and crisscrossed by massive bridges, the city’s geography makes it hard to find open, usable land, especially in the crowded downtown core. But instead of letting that limit what’s possible, Chongqing has found a creative way forward. Spaces that were once overlooked—under highway overpasses, along narrow riverbanks, or squeezed between buildings—are being turned into parks, sports grounds, and community gathering places.

At Yurenwan Matou, a quiet stretch beneath a busy bridge has been transformed into a unique park filled with activity. Cyclists glide by, skateboarders practice tricks, and people stop to take in the breeze off the river. Nearby, Hualongqiao Community Sports Park offers basketball and badminton courts, walking paths, that bring life to what used to be just gray concrete. These aren’t just isolated efforts—they’re part of a bigger shift in how Chongqing thinks about public space. 

Traditional parks like Dadukou still play an important role, offering open lawns, shaded trees, and quiet corners where older residents practice Tai Chi in the mornings and families gather in the evenings. What links all these spaces is a shared belief in the power of accessible green areas to improve daily life—a belief now backed by science. Chongqing is embracing what’s known as the “20-Minute Park Effect,” the idea that spending just twenty minutes a day in a green space can noticeably reduce stress hormones, improve mood, and ease anxiety. And this belief isn’t just philosophy—it’s city policy.

In 2024 alone, Chongqing upgraded 100 existing parks to be more inclusive for children and the elderly, built 100 new pocket parks, enhanced more than 100 neighborhood green areas, and added 119 kilometers of mountain greenways. Looking ahead, the city plans to add 50 new sports parks, 1,000 kilometers of fitness trails, and 300 community football fields by the end of 2025. In a city dominated by vertical growth and relentless construction, these human-scaled spaces serve as essential breathing rooms—places to rest, move, connect, and simply be. Chongqing’s message is clear: even in the most crowded urban landscapes, there is always room to reclaim, to reimagine, and to build a healthier, more connected city.

(Zhou Junjie, as an intern, also contributed to this report.)