00:01In a city packed with bricks, mortar and ever-rising towers, finding a patch of green can feel like fighting a lifeline.
00:08It's not just about somewhere to walk your dog or eat a sandwich, it's about space to breathe.
00:13Birmingham's green spaces offer a chance to recharge, to reconnect, to escape the constant churn of modern life without leaving the city limits.
00:20They're where generations of families have grown up kicking a ball about, where friendships have started
00:25and where people can have a rare bit of silence away from the noise of their everyday.
00:30We're right here asking people who use these spaces why they matter and which part of Birmingham's green lungs they hold the dearest.
00:38Highgate's a green space. I'd say Cannon Hill Park.
00:41Oh, like a green space like a park? Yeah. I'd say Cannon Hill Park.
00:46I'd say Edgbaston Reservoir. Oh, that's nice. It is.
00:49Nah, but I grew up going picnics in Cannon Hill Park.
00:51I only like Edgbaston because of the water. Yeah, that's nice.
00:56Cathedral Close, I would have said, because it's just a nice space to be and the cathedral's nice to visit too.
01:03For me the favourite one is Cannon Hill Park. It's quite a nice park with boating facilities and a lot of family areas where you can hang out, do barbecues.
01:12As well as the Sutton Park, which is more towards the north-east of Birmingham. And that is famous for its big lakes and it's one of the biggest parks in Europe, from what I've heard.
01:21I normally use the canal, but I have anywhere along the canal. I like it. It's peaceful. It's tranquil. You know what I mean?
01:29I've always liked water and the wilderness and it's just one of them. So anywhere along the canal.
01:36Sutton Park, Cannon Hill, Handsworth Park, Licky Hills, the list goes on. These aren't just big fields. They're stitched into the city's DNA.
01:44Some spots have been protected for hundreds of years. Others sprang up to give Victorian workers somewhere to escape the factories.
01:51In an age where private developers want every inch and councils are forced to count every penny.
01:57Maintaining free public spices feels almost rebellious. There's an economic side too.
02:02Green spices improve mental health, cut down NHS costs, even boost local businesses by making neighbourhoods nicer places to live and work.
02:10So as Birmingham grows and changes, we've been asking what role these spices still play in everyday city life.
02:17Yeah, they're important because if there's no trees and no grass anywhere, then how are we going to survive?
02:22Yeah. That's how we breathe air. And it's just nice to get out, especially when it's sunny like this.
02:27Go sit on the grass, have a picnic, chill with your friends, have a cup of drinks.
02:30And I think the generation has changed quite a lot. Like our generation growing up, we would go out to the park and stuff like this.
02:35This generation just sits in town and does whatever they're doing.
02:38I think they're very important. I mean, I think Covid showed that when lockdown was there.
02:43The amount of people that use the green spaces around, they're very important.
02:47They're very important for peace, escaping from our daily routines, from our day to day lives.
02:52And the green spaces basically provide like a form of peace in our mind when we go there and hang out with our friends and families and loved ones.
02:59Thank you very much.
03:01territ in Taiwan again.
03:02Thank you very much for handling the sighed and the comments from Alavance.
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