Beijing plans to build 26 leisure parks in 2021 to improve the urban ecological environment, local authorities said.

The newly-built parks will be located in the districts of Fengtai, Haidian and Shunyi, said Deng Naiping, director of the Beijing Gardening and Greening Bureau.

In 2021, the coverage of parks and green spaces within a radius of 500 meters will rise to 87 per cent citywide, and the per capita area of parks and green spaces is expected to reach 16.6 square metres.

The capital will also build four urban forests, a number of small mini-parks and green spaces, and launch green pathways totalling 100 kilometres for residents' walking and exercising this year, Naiping said.

A total of 10,667 hectares of forest and 400 hectares of urban green spaces will be added in Beijing in 2021. The forest coverage rate of the capital and the green space rate in the urban areas will then reach 44.6pc and 49pc, respectively.

This article originally appeared on China Daily and has been reproduced with permission.