Can Parks Cure Social Ills?

What an enjoyable lecture...


So let’s get things straight.

The word 'Cure' taken from the online dictionary means:

1. Restoration of health; recovery from disease.
2. A method or course of medical treatment used to restore health.
3. An agent, such as a drug, that restores health; a remedy.
4. Something that corrects or relieves a harmful or disturbing situation: The cats proved to be a good cure for our mouse problem.
5. Ecclesiastical Spiritual charge or care, as of a priest for a congregation.
6. The office or duties of a curate.
7. The act or process of preserving a product.

So let’s get things straight cure means recovery, or to restore so in other words as said in the lecture the word stands for complete recovery and that’s something that although we wish it could isn't completely true. So then let’s take the next part of the question... Social ills? Bullying, Racism, Delinquency, Addiction etc.
So lets think about this and yes I believe to extent parks/open spaces/green spaces can 'help' with social ills.
So I’ve started looking into this more and health is a big factor that can be cured by green spaces and there have been numerous occasions in the news where this topic has been brought up. For example the one below.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8307024.stm

I also found a PDF file from the http://www.cardiff.gov.uk/ website that also talks about green spaces and social ills. It first talks by explaining exactly what a social ill is... ‘Any behaviour which causes, or is capable of causing nuisance, harassment, alarm or distress to persons from a different household!’ This report explained the issues of delinquents having a green space to run riot in. So this proves that it’s not always possible. I do think though these problems do go round in circles having somewhere in which social ills can occur i.e. A park gives the opportunity to let problems arise.
However in personal experiences I think being out in an open space whether it be a parkland or heath even sports fields you do feel a lot happier, however it comes down to the individual in the end and as we discussed in the lecture boredom is a main factor to this problem... so therefore I think this is the main issue that needs to be addressed, not whether there is enough green spaces.

Green Space!