00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:05 When this family want to get out into nature,
00:07 or even just pop to the playground,
00:09 they, like others here, have to walk at least eight blocks
00:13 in the searing heat of the sprawling concrete.
00:15 I'd love to have a playground a couple of blocks away
00:22 and not have to cross so many streets.
00:24 And it would be great if there were trees around that
00:26 provided shade so that the kids could play without being
00:29 blinded by the sun.
00:30 It's only spring, and it's already so hot.
00:36 With so much concrete everywhere,
00:38 the city gets hotter and hotter.
00:40 The heat really builds up.
00:42 Buenos Aires now has over 15 million inhabitants.
00:48 By 2030, that number is set to hit 17 million.
00:53 Right next to the playground, there's a construction site.
00:56 As is the case almost everywhere,
00:57 especially in the city center, old neighborhoods
01:00 are either disappearing or being completely revamped.
01:04 The city's new urban development plan
01:06 ensures that new residential blocks are being erected
01:09 on almost every corner.
01:11 There are a few regulations in place
01:13 to protect historic buildings.
01:15 With inflation as high as 100%, many
01:18 prefer to invest in real estate instead of leaving
01:21 their money in the bank.
01:22 The constant development angers many residents.
01:25 Several neighborhood initiatives have taken to the streets
01:28 to protest against gentrification.
01:33 It's completely indiscriminate.
01:35 Building permits are issued everywhere
01:37 for just about anything in every neighborhood across the city.
01:40 The city also lacks green spaces.
01:46 Areas designated as public parkland,
01:49 like the area near the old railroad,
01:51 often end up being sold off to investors.
01:55 Urban planner Antonio Vazquez-Brust
01:58 frequently meets activists to discuss such issues.
02:01 What they did was subdivide what could
02:05 have been a large linear park and build right
02:08 in the middle of it, leaving just small areas of green
02:11 around it.
02:12 They're public spaces, but the buildings
02:14 are in the middle of them, which also increases
02:17 the value per square meter.
02:20 The planned park areas are basically
02:22 a backyard for the residents of the high-rise building.
02:28 This whole front that you see here by the high-rise blocks,
02:32 it's high density.
02:35 There's very little greenery around it,
02:37 and the buildings are 10 to 12 stories high.
02:40 So it is not a green space.
02:41 Antonio Vazquez-Brust collected data
02:50 and created a map of Buenos Aires' green spaces.
02:53 According to his calculations, there
02:55 are just five square meters of public green space
02:58 per resident of the city.
03:00 New York, meanwhile, boasts 13 square meters.
03:03 The data shows that there are not only too few green spaces
03:13 for the number of people, but that they're also unevenly
03:17 distributed and mostly located in the city's wealthiest
03:20 neighborhoods.
03:21 People in the poorest districts have the least access
03:27 to green spaces.
03:29 And for families who can't travel,
03:32 parks are the only way to access nature.
03:36 The city does, however, fund some initiatives encouraging
03:39 more urban greenery, like this cooperative, for example.
03:43 During the COVID pandemic, its members
03:45 converted an unused part of their site
03:48 into an urban garden.
03:50 They not only grow their own vegetables here,
03:52 but also offer educational projects
03:54 for schoolchildren and neighbors.
03:57 Everyone is welcome.
03:58 Today's topic is composting.
04:02 Through our garden, we want to educate people
04:04 about healthy eating and get the message across that we can all
04:08 grow vegetables at home.
04:12 We provide information and support
04:14 for those who want to start doing this themselves.
04:16 Back to the playground.
04:24 The family spends their whole Sunday here.
04:26 More greenery is needed, not just here, say the parents.
04:29 I think there's a lack of public awareness
04:35 about the importance of green spaces in cities.
04:39 And we don't properly know what the impact is
04:41 of living in areas that don't have them.
04:43 City authorities have promised to create large new park areas.
04:52 But many residents are already disillusioned
04:55 by the encroaching reality of the concrete jungle.
04:58 Buenos Aires has lots to offer, but it certainly
05:01 needs to welcome in more green.
05:04 (upbeat music)
05:07 (upbeat music)
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