Qatar: Furjan Park at Al Wakra nearing completion

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Qatar - The Supervisory Committee for Beautification of Roads and Public Places has completed most of the main works of the upcoming Furjan Park at Al Wakra, local Arabic daily Arrayah reported.

Located at Al-Mishkat Street, the park is set up at a total area of 3,284 sqm. It includes various recreational and sports facilities and provides space for the local residents for physical activities.

According to the report, the park is expected to be opened this year and the committee is working to increase space along with recreational and sanitation facilities.

Furjan Park at Al-Mishkat Street is one of three parks that the committee planned in Al Wakra. The park includes recreational and sports facilities, pedestrian paths, children’s play areas, fitness equipment, and seating to make it an enjoyable destination for all family members.

These facilities have been designed and implemented according to the needs of the local residents while taking into account the needs of the elderly and people with disabilities.

Local trees and other plants that suit the Qatar environment occupy 70% of the park and they improve the air quality while bringing down the temperature levels and carbon emission. Also, they add to the aesthetic features of the park while keeping it attractive and greenish.

The committee has announced that 15 Furjan parks are set up across Qatar as part of its efforts to humanise cities and change a car-centric culture to a pedestrian and cyclist-friendly culture. Being constructed by the Public Works Authority (Ashghal), the Furjan parks aim to create recreational spaces and plazas that contribute to encouraging families to lead a healthy lifestyle and practice sports from nearby enjoyable destinations just outside their closed doors.

In 2021, the Supervisory Committee, in co-operation with the Ministry of Municipality, launched a strategic plan to build parks that serve tourists and visitors across the country. The strategic plan also includes implementing small green spaces such as Al Furjan Parks that serve residents of specific neighbourhoods while creating green plazas implemented in various locations to help protect the environment.

The parks are designed to be close to homes, easily reachable by pedestrians or cyclists, which encourage the people of the area to visit them regularly and spend quality time in a healthy and safe environment, which enhances social gathering and communication.

The parks are basically constructed to act as a breather for community members and they increase green area and improving quality of life, and are considered as natural filters to purify the air from carbon emissions, one important factor in increasing the share of each person per square metre of green space.

The parks include many features that make it an enjoyable destination for all family members, including elderly, youth and children. These features and services vary according to the area of the park, such as pedestrian and cyclist paths, seats, and some parks include kids’ play areas, fitness equipment, kiosks, and others. Elderly people and people with special needs are also taken into consideration in the designs.