City Park, Penang

The City Park, also colloquially known as the Youth Park, is an urban park in the city of George Town in Penang, Malaysia. Located near the Penang Botanic Gardens, the City Park was opened in 1972 as a recreational area and a green lung for the city's residents.[1]

Penang City Park
Youth Park
Taman Bandaraya  (Malay)
青年公园  (Chinese)
Location in George Town. The city centre's UNESCO World Heritage Site is in purple.
TypeUrban park
LocationGeorge Town, Penang
Coordinates5°25′45.6528″N 100°17′50.712″E
Created1972 (1972)
Operated byPenang Island City Council
OpenDaily

True to its name, the City Park contains various recreational amenities, such as playgrounds, a skating rink, swimming pools, a graffiti corner, reflexology paths and an outdoor auditorium, all of which are open to the public.[1][2][3] The park is maintained by the Penang Island City Council.

History
A public pool at the City Park. The water used is sourced from the nearby waterfalls.[4]
The Penang Graffiti Park was launched in 2012.[3][5]

The idea for the establishment of a 'Youth Park' came into being in 1970, in response to concerns over juvenile delinquency and a lack of recreational areas.[1] At the time, the area now known as the City Park was an abandoned 40-acre (16-hectare) granite quarry.

A proposal to establish a 'Youth Park' was accepted by Lim Chong Eu, the then Chief Minister of Penang. A committee was subsequently formed to explore the idea and a groundbreaking ceremony was launched late that year. In the aftermath of the 1969 race riots in Kuala Lumpur, it was decided that the park should also embody Penang's multi-cultural heritage in the "community of nature". To that end, volunteers from the various schools and youth clubs within Penang were roped in for the groundbreaking event.

The Youth Park, as it was known at the time, was officially declared open in 1972 by the then Governor of Penang, Syed Hassan Barakbah. At its opening, the park was equipped with an obstacle course, a skating rink and an outdoor auditorium. More facilities were added in the years since, with the latest being the Penang Graffiti Park in 2012.[3][5]

The City Park is also home to two of the Penang Island City Council departments - the Community Service Department and the Landscape Department. The GBI-rated council office incorporates a rain harvesting system, an outdoor garden and vertical green walls, as well as transparent glass panels designed to allow maximum natural lighting.[6][7]

See also

References
  1. Fazal, Anwar (August 2017). "Penang's Youth Park: Malaysia's First Adventure Playground". Penang Monthly. Retrieved 2017-12-10.
  2. "Penang Municipal Park". Time Out Penang. Retrieved 2017-12-10.
  3. Filmer, Andrea (26 April 2011). "A park for graffiti artists". The Star.
  4. "Youth Park is an excellent place for city dwellers to take a respite from busy downtown". www.penangheritagecity.com. Retrieved 2017-12-10.
  5. "Portal Rasmi Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang - The Officiating Ceremony of The Penang Graffiti Park". www.penang.gov.my. Retrieved 2017-12-10.
  6. "Two council departments moving to Penang City Park". The Star. 19 January 2017.
  7. "MPPP Office @ Youth Park - Construction Plus Asia". Construction Plus Asia. 2016-08-02. Retrieved 2017-12-10.
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