Vaman R. Naik
As I travel through Scotland visiting family, I am struck by the scale, quality and upkeep of its public parks and by the priority local communities place on their preservation. In cities such as Edinburgh, places like Holyrood Park and Rouken Glen Park, along with a network of well-maintained urban gardens, are part of everyday public life.
These parks are designed for regular use. Older residents in particular make frequent use of walking paths, seating areas and open lawns, with parks serving as everyday spaces for movement and social interaction rather than occasional leisure. This supports mobility and is widely linked to better physical and mental well-being.
Across Scotland, public parks combine natural landscapes, heritage features and public access, often within or close to residential areas. Woodlands, lakes, wildlife habitats and historic landmarks are part of the urban setting. Beyond recreation, they help improve air quality, moderate urban temperatures, support biodiversity and provide shared spaces where people from different backgrounds interact.
The approach offers lessons for rapidly urbanising parts of India. Goa also has a long-established network of public gardens and tree-lined open spaces from Portuguese-era planning. As cities expand, parks are treated as basic infrastructure rather than optional additions.
Several Indian states, including Kerala, Karnataka and Telangana, have increased investment in urban parks, biodiversity zones and tree-planting programmes. Goa still has an older network of civic gardens and public open spaces. The challenge there is less about creating new green spaces and more about maintaining and strengthening what already exists.
While maintaining parks involves ongoing costs, the benefits are seen in public health, reduced pressure on healthcare systems, improved air quality and better urban living conditions.
Against this backdrop, ongoing discussions over proposed works within Margao Municipal Garden point to a broader planning tension. The contrast with Scotland is not in whether development takes place but in how consistently open green spaces are preserved and prioritised for public use.
(The writer is former principal of Srinivassa Sinai Dempo College of Commerce & Economics, Cujira.)
