Von der Leyen’s COP29 Absence Sends the Wrong Message on Climate

The EU’s emphasis on initiatives like the harmonization of labeling over pressing climate issues can appear tone-deaf in the current context. Prioritizing these debates while Europe endures deadly climate-induced events sends a confused message to the world.

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A playground in London

If you’ve ever driven through a city without green spaces, you know the feeling. It’s dark, drab, and lifeless. Even the most industrial cities can be revitalized by adding trees, grass, bushes, and planter boxes. Even better, the more outdoor spaces you create in a city, the more likely you are to see people getting out into them. Yes, outdoor spaces are essential to breathing energy into a community. Here’s why:

Playgrounds Are Ideal Meeting Spaces

Parents around the world would likely line up to tell you how lonely it can be to have young kids. Especially if you don’t have friends with kids or family close, sitting at home with your little ones all day often feels isolating. Yet there are few places to go meet other lonely parents out with their kids. Aside from the library, most indoor spaces will charge a fee to hang out and entertain your child. This leaves parents to find local parks, which can be both a refuge and a sanctuary.

Visit any local park, and you’re bound to find parents lounging on benches while their kids make friends on outdoor playground equipment. Even better, lots of parents actually make friends in parks, too. Some will form meetups and playdates, and you can find droves of toddlers playing in the sand while moms and dads take a break. These outdoor spaces are critical to parents in need of fellowship and commiseration over the trials of keeping tiny humans alive.

Open Spaces Are Easier for Parents With Kids

A playground swing in Ohio, USA

In addition to being a great meeting place, outdoor, open spaces are easier for parents struggling to manage kids. Shopping or eating indoors can be a hectic experience for parents, especially of little ones. You constantly have to make sure they’re not breaking something, knocking something over, or screaming. It’s a reality for parents that those without kids, or with grown children, tend to overlook.

Outdoor spaces like parks, hiking trails, and even nature preserves offer parents a bit of a breather from these stresses. So, you’ll often find parents more relaxed and able to engage with other adults while their kids explore playgrounds, nature, or even just an open field. Ensuring you have plenty of these outdoor locations in your city can go a long way toward welcoming people from all walks of life to spend time in shared spaces together.

Outdoor Events Are Fun

Do you want to revitalize a community? Schedule outdoor events in open spaces in your city. Sure, communities can come together at City Hall for city council meetings. City dwellers might even encounter each other while out shopping in local stores or eating at restaurants. But those experiences can often be negative (fighting over city legislation) or fleeting (waving hi at the bookstore). These aren’t ideal opportunities for building community.

Outdoor events, in stark contrast, are a great way to bring people together over something fun. A Fourth of July picnic day, a Day of the Dead festival, or a Christmas tree lighting are all experiences that tend to spark joy in attendees. They’re a great chance to get people to chat about local happenings, the holidays, their costumes, and more. They also send the message to your community that you are all part of something larger, which is a great feeling.

One Word: Barbecue

A birthday party in the Netherlands. Outdoor parties are great with the weather works in your favor.

Barbecues are the lifeblood of many communities. There are few things that bring people together like eating food outside. Again, you can have a giant spaghetti feed or a bake-off in a recreation center or local dining hall. The people who attend will have a good time. But arriving at a location that requires you to walk inside a building can be off-putting for many. It often feels like the spotlight focuses on you when you walk in the door.

A barbecue stimulates the exact opposite of this feeling for many people. You can show up at a park with people milling around and get a feel for what you’re walking into while you’re still in the parking lot. Barbecues in local parks offer people the chance to warm up to each other, start conversations, and break bread — or hot dogs. Even more introverted people can show up and hang back while still feeling like part of the community.

Clean-Ups and Gardens Get People Involved

One way outdoor spaces can revitalize a community that many won’t think of is through community organizing and volunteering. More than 50% of the U.S. population volunteered to help their neighbors at the height of the pandemic. People want to help each other. They want to get involved, and helping brings people together. Often, it seems, people don’t volunteer or help out because they just don’t know how to get involved.

Organizing a community clean-up, planning a community garden, or revitalizing a park can be a great way to get locals involved. These are all opportunities for parents to bring kids out and teach them about community service. Introverts and shy people can join without feeling pressured to socialize. And new residents can come out to meet their neighbors. Meanwhile, your outdoor spaces are getting a facelift!

So many reasons exist to ensure your city is filled with outdoor spaces for residents to enjoy. They bring people together, remind them they’re a community, and encourage them to have fun. Whether it’s a playground or a nature trail, outdoor spaces meant to be shared are ideal locations to generate excitement and energy around your city, county, or state. People want to be part of something larger than themselves, and they often just need to be shown the way.

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