With the growing population in cities, more and more people live in a home with small or no outdoor areas.
Is it a positive or negative development?
As a result of the booming urban populations, an increasing number of individuals now live in houses that lack outdoor spaces. In my opinion, although this trend promotes the growth of communal green areas, the general public’s mental health is likely to suffer, which is decidedly negative overall.
Those in favor of the gradual disappearance of outdoor spaces at home typically point to the development of public spaces. When fewer individuals can gain access to private gardens, there is likely to be a greater demand for well-maintained parks and playgrounds. The government may then make more budgetary allocation towards this purpose, creating an enjoyable experience for local residents and raising their living standards. As a result, there is now a green space where individuals can socialize and engage in physical activities, fostering higher levels of social cohesion and well-being. For example, although many Singaporeans live in high-rise apartments with limited private outdoor space, they can still actively partake in social activities within the city’s extensive network of green corridors and public parks.
However, I would contend that this propensity is largely negative as it has a detrimental impact on the general citizenry’s mental well-being. The lack of outdoor spaces at home generally translates to individuals feeling disconnected from nature, increasing the risks of them developing anxiety and even depression. Research and surveys conducted have shown that during the Covid-19 lockdowns, individuals living in apartments without balconies and gardens reported greater levels of stress compared to those having access to some private outdoor spaces. Over time, the inadequacy of outdoor areas at home can contribute to a decline in public health and work productivity, and consequently place a tremendous strain on the healthcare system and more broadly, the economy.
In conclusion, despite encouraging the development of shared green spaces, this trend is unequivocally negative on the whole as it has an injurious impact on the mental health of the public at large.
Words: 321
urban đô thị
individuals cá nhân
lack thiếu
opinion ý kiến
trend xu hướng
communal chung
mental health sức khỏe tinh thần
suffer chịu đựng
decidedly rõ ràng, dứt khoát
overall tổng thể
favor ủng hộ
gradual dần dần
disappearance sự biến mất
access tiếp cận
demand nhu cầu
well-maintained được bảo trì tốt
budgetary ngân sách
allocation sự phân bổ
residents cư dân
living standards mức sống
socialize giao lưu
engage in tham gia vào
cohesion sự gắn kết
corridors hành langcontend cho rằng
detrimental có hại
citizenry công dân
disconnected không gắn kết
anxiety lo âu
depression trầm cảm
survey khảo sát
balconies ban công
gardens vườn
inadequacy sự thiếu hụt
productivity năng suất
strain áp lực
healthcare system hệ thống chăm sóc sức khỏe
economy nền kinh tế
in conclusion kết luận
unequivocally chắc chắn, không nghi ngờ gì
injurious có hại
at large nói chung