TEXT E Green-space facilities are
contributing to an important extent to the quality of the urban environment.
Fortunately it is no longer necessary that every lecture or every book about
this subject has to start with the proof of this idea. At present it is
generally accepted, although more a self-evident statement than on the base of a
closely-reasoned scientific proof. The recognition of the importance of
green-spaces in the urban environment is a first step on the right way. This
does not mean, however, that sufficient details are known about the functions of
green-space in towns and about the way in which the inhabitants are using these
spaces. As to this rather complex subject, I shall, within the scope of this
lecture, enter into one aspect only, namely the recreative function of green
space facilities. The theoretical separation of living, working,
traffic and recreation which for many years has been used in town-and-country
planning, has in my opinion resulted in disproportionate attention for forms of
recreation far from home, whereas there was relatively little attention for
improvement of recreative possibilities in the direct neighborhood of the home.
We have come to the conclusion that this is not right, because an important part
of the time which we do not pass in sleeping or working, is used for activities
at and around home. So it is obvious that recreation in the open air has to
begin at the street-door of the house. The urban environment has to offer as
many recreation activities as possible, and the design of these has to be such
that more obligatory activities can also have a recreative aspect.
The very best standard of living is nothing if it is not possible to take
a pleasant walk in the district, if the children cannot be allowed to play in
the streets, because the risks of traffic are too great, if during shopping you
can nowhere find a spot for enjoying for a moment the nice weather, in short, if
you only feel yourself at home after the street-door of your house is closed
after you. The main idea of the passage is that______.
A．better use of green-space facilities should be made so as to improve the quality of our life B．attention must be directed to the improvement of recreative possibilities C．the urban environment is providing more recreative activities than it did many years ago D．priority must be given to the development of obligatory activities