Madrid has been the capital of Spain since 1606. With that, the city has been developing for centuries. The composition of the city is a mixture of traditional and modern architecture. While there are portions of the city without much greenery, there are multiple public parks throughout the city where people can enjoy nature.
Unlike living in a spacious suburban area, large cities are compact and space utilization is maximized for profitability. Nature is compromised in the process of fulfilling the demand for space. In order to preserve parts of the natural environment, city governments maintain public parks for its citizens. The parks in Madrid vary in size. For example, Parque del Retiro has an area of 140 hectares (about half a square mile) and the largest park, Casa de Campo, has an area of 1750 hectares (about 6.75 square miles). Casa de Campo used to be a royal hunting estate. Other countries with monarchies have also turned royal hunting grounds into public parks, such as Hyde Park in London.
