L…vû¹XjF ÕT 3;C… û+¨v#kÌk

(282 words) 

---

 IELTS
 JOURNAL 
 
103 
Sample essay 46: 
In many cities, there are areas of land that are used as parks. With increasing population 
levels, these areas would be better used to provide more housing. 
Do you agree or disagree? 
In many major metropolitan areas, land is set aside for all members of the public to enjoy, 
and this is something that should remain as will now be discussed. 
The main reason in support of retaining parkland is that it provides a communal area for 
people who may otherwise live in apartments or small houses without access to a garden. It 
has been well documented that time spent outdoors has clear health benefits, not only for 
exercise and fresh air, but also for mental health. 
Another reason is that increasing populations in urban areas has a number of negative 
subsidiary effects, such as pressure on sanitation and clean water supplies. Replacing parks 
with more housing will only further compound this problem. In Mexico City, for example, 
the population is so dense that in many areas, delivery of fresh water supplies is under 
extreme pressure. On a related note, there is also an environmental advantage in having 
park land, as it is a source of oxygen production which may otherwise be lacking in urban 
areas. 
Admittedly, the level of the population relocating to urban areas in increasing for 
employment reasons as there are often more jobs available, and for this to be possible, 
additional land will need to be used for housing and this needs to be sourced near the place 
of work to avoid excess travel. However, it is arguable that it would be better to create 
larger suburbs than overcrowd the centre of cities. 
Overall, it is clear that there are no substantial advantages in removing these green areas, 
and given their advantages, they should be retained, and even expanded, wherever 
possible.