But last fall, I saw all kinds of wonderful fruits, vegetables and flowers. This, too, is free, and dozens of people work together to make it great for everyone. And across the way is a rose garden. People take care of roses here so others can take nice walks through the garden.
As I came to the end of my bike ride, I saw dozens of families running around and riding bikes, enjoying the great weather. I saw how people are respecful of their neighbors and respectful of the public spaces that they enjoy together.
I've lived in Seoul for a long time, and I have always admired the wonderful public spaces. Things in Seoul are built extremely fast. I once watched a ten-floor hotel be built in six months! But I've also seen how the huge growth of the city has damaged the environment. It has also made it difficult for people living in Seoul to have fun leisure activities. I have learned how the beautiful public spaces are recent additions to the city and how they are the product of hard work and respect from the community here.
In the past 50 years, Seoul has grown very fast. While working hard to build the city, the people and government did not respect the environment. They actually blocked and paved over rivers and streams to build buildings. They cut down millions of trees. Air pollution became worse, and the water became dirty. Because of all the new buildings, there was no space for people to enjoy the outdoors.
