Bio-diversity, Habitats Lost As Parks Are Tidied

"Over-cautious local authorities are tidying up urban parks because dense undergrowth and spreading trees are perceived to offer shelter to criminals and prostitutes. Mark Johnston, an arboriculturalist who has been aware of this trend for 10 years says "We could face urban landscapes with very few trees and shrubs. If there are trees, these could resemble lollipops, with small compact crowns to cause minimum obstruction and tall thin trunks that no one could hide behind." Yet the figures show that these green areas are less crime-prone than city streets. Clearance is bad for birds, insects and wild mammals, because it deprives them of a place to eat, roost, hide or breed; it could also restrict children's development by sanitising wild spaces which they used to explore."

Thanks to Judith Eversley