Whether from the integration of old private gardens, the creation of new public gardens, or the progressive recovery of coastal, river, lake and marine borders, the tradition of beautifying cities through parks in Chile dates back to the end of the 19th century. But beyond beautifying and providing ecosystemic benefits, what is the contribution of parks to people, as well as to urban life in cities and beyond? This year, the magazine published a study carried out in England, where there is evidence of improvements in people’s health, associated with cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes, asthma, mental discomfort and myopia, after being exposed to natural places in urban areas, such as parks, forests and beaches. According to the scientific publication, one of the most prestigious in the world, the exposure levels showed that, from 120 minutes a week of incursion in these places, people begin to obtain satisfactory responses in terms of health improvements. In Chile, professors Luis Alvarez, geographer PUCV; Salvador Donghi, biologist PUCV; and Gonzalo Undurraga, architect PUCV, developed an article that addresses “”, which you can review in the following link. In addition to its beaches and the estuary, as urban environmental assets, Viña has important private and public green areas, such as the , with hills of scrubland and sclerophyllous forest, a small artificial wetland and a stream that runs through it to the Marga Marga estuary; the area of , with 100 hectares of green area that includes La Laguna Sausalito, an artificial reservoir with native and exotic flora; the , a space of 22 hectares with architectural and floral diversity; and one of the most important green lungs located in the , owned by the Chilean Navy. The , seeks not only to provide new green areas for the city. The system of parks for public use, which is incorporated in the urban project, will allow to value the native vegetation floors of the region, highlighting natural attributes that contribute to generate better health conditions for the people of Viña del Mar.
