Enab Baladi – Christina al-Shammas
Despite the increasing reliance on public parks in Damascus, many still suffer from neglect, deteriorating infrastructure, lack of maintenance, and absence of services, along with various other factors that diminish the quality of experience sought by citizens.
Public parks in Damascus serve as a refuge for many citizens for free-of-charge entertainment and outings, especially with rising living costs and the high prices of restaurants and cafes, which have become beyond the reach of most Syrian families.
Syrians have not abandoned the tradition of picnicking on weekends, which consists of a home-cooked meal in one of the many parks scattered throughout the capital, in a space suitable for children to play and for gatherings that can last for hours in a place that costs nothing.
This contradiction between the need for public parks and their declining reality reveals an urgent need for a comprehensive project to revitalize these green spaces, as they represent a civilized front and a destination for visitors.
A haven for different groups
Khaled al-Hariri, a retired man in his sixties living in Abou Rummaneh, told Enab Baladi that he has frequented al-Jahez park for over 20 years and complains about the significant changes that have occurred in the park.
“In the past, the park was a place to relax and read newspapers; now it is filled with noise, youth gatherings with their hookahs, and the spread of rubbish most of the time,” al-Hariri said.
Fadia Imran, a housewife residing in the Fahama area of Damascus, mentioned that she comes to a nearby park with her three children almost every week, bringing along some food and drinks and spending a few hours there.
Imran views the parks as a haven for those with limited income; her financial situation prevents her from dining out at Damascus restaurants, where the cost of the cheapest meal reaches 100,000 Syrian pounds (about 10 dollars on average), while the average salary is estimated at 50 dollars.
Imran also complains about the limited space allocated for children in the parks, the dilapidated seating, and the absence of designated spaces for restrooms, hoping for an overall improvement in the state of the parks and increased attention to their service.
Rita Abdo, a university student living in the Qassaa area, said she prefers visiting a park in Burj al-Rous with her friends every weekend, but the park is a neglected green space with no seating available; often, it is closed, forcing them to sit on the edges of the park.
A reality that requires attention
The city of Damascus has about 177 open parks spread across residential neighborhoods, varying in size and available services. Among the most notable are Tishreen, the largest in area, al-Sabki, and al-Jahez park in Abou Rummaneh, which recently suffered a fire that caused damage to part of it without knowing the reason behind it.
A small percentage of these parks still retain the minimum level of services, such as accessible visiting areas.
According to Enab Baladi‘s observation of the state of these parks, a large portion suffers from a lack of basic services, such as the absence of public restrooms; where they do exist, they are often unclean or closed most of the time, in addition to the accumulation of waste throughout the parks, especially on weekends.
Many wooden benches are dilapidated and unsafe for sitting, and most lights are broken or malfunctioning, making the parks unsafe at night; most lack children’s play areas, or these are old and broken, depriving children of a full enjoyment of the space.
According to testimonials from residents interviewed by Enab Baladi, some parks are used at night as gathering places for uncontrolled activities, diminishing the sense of safety.
The current state of the parks reflects a lack of a strategic vision for public facilities that require rehabilitation, rather than just being considered as mere planted spaces.
Upcoming plans
The Supervisor of Parks and Sanitation Management at the Damascus City Cleaning Directorate, Sabri Abbas, told Enab Baladi that there are plans to rehabilitate all public parks in Damascus, including al-Jahez park, according to studied plans that contribute to presenting the parks in an ideal form.
Regarding the financial budget allocated for rehabilitation projects of the parks, Abbas indicated that the Cleaning Directorate prepares preliminary studies for each park individually, including the budget, for the Damascus governorate.
He clarified that the criteria for selecting parks to undergo rehabilitation are based on determining the number of visitors and their popularity, as well as the green space available.
Abbas stated that there will be studies conducted by the governorate, others will be put out for bids to the private sector, and a portion will be set for investment in exchange for rehabilitation.
Upcoming plans for rehabilitation of Damascus’ public parks Enab Baladi.
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