Comment by childofhedgehog
3 days ago
Having natural spaces within communities is vital for mental health. For example, Central Park in NYC is a vital resource for the city allowing people to enjoy nature close to home. Kids need places to go and play. Adults need space to recreate. Pets need space too. Why would you want to have no green spaces within your community?
Central Park isn't wild. I replied to someone who said we need more wild areas. I'm all for parks.
There is a huge gradation of "how wild".
Central park is way more wild than a playground, which is way more wild than a city street corner.
The Yosemite National Park front country is way more wild than Central Park.
The federally-protected wilderness areas, where it is illegal to use a chainsaw for trail management as that is not sufficiently wild, in the Sierra Nevadas are even more wild, but still have a ton of people, trails etc.
The Brooks Range in Alaska is yet even more wild - no/few trails, take a bush plane in/out, etc.
Allowing a bit more wilderness is always a utility - it doesn't have to be binary wild/not wild (and very little land habitable by humans has ever not been severely influenced by humans)