Neat and spacious parking spaces, a leisure trail taking shape, and pavilions to be installed soon... Recently, residents of Likang Road Residential Quarter in Lunan Community, Qingxiangping Subdistrict, Xi District, Panzhihua City, were pleasantly surprised to find that the long-unused "corner land" at their doorstep is quietly transforming. It will soon become a "Happiness Garden" integrating parking and leisure functions. This tangible change stems from Xi District’s solid advancement of the "I Do Practical Things for the People" initiative, which takes solving the people’s urgent, difficult, and worrying issues as the starting point and goal of its work.

As an old residential area built quite early, Likang Road Residential Quarter has gradually faced two major troubles for residents in recent years: "difficulty in parking" and "insufficient leisure space". When the people have demands, the government responds. After in-depth research and extensive solicitation of public opinions, the District Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau made a decisive decision to carry out intensive upgrading and renovation of the vacant land next to the community. It scientifically planned and built a parking lot and a pocket park, turning what was once a "weak spot in people’s livelihood" into a "springboard for happiness". The project site presents a busy yet orderly scene. According to the person in charge of the project, the newly built parking lot covers an area of about 750 square meters and can provide 30 parking spaces for cars. At present, except for the finishing work at the entrance, the surface concrete pouring of the main structure of the parking lot has been fully completed and put into use, greatly alleviating the anxiety of residents struggling to find a parking spot.

At the same time, the pocket park, which started construction simultaneously with the parking lot and covers a total area of about 1,200 square meters, is also taking initial shape. The pedestrian trails are made of permeable concrete, which is both aesthetically pleasing and environmentally friendly. The green areas have been leveled, and railings have been installed, waiting for green plants to be planted. The project leader added, "We have specially planned prefabricated pavilions to provide residents with a comfortable space for shelter from the sun and rain, as well as for neighborhood communication. The remaining greening work and pavilion installation are being stepped up, and the entire park is expected to be fully completed by the end of October."

The transformation from an overgrown idle corner to a multi-functional vibrant space has won high praise from residents. "Fighting for a parking spot after work used to feel like a 'battle', and there was no decent place to take a walk. Now it’s great— the government has really done practical things that touch our hearts!" Mr. Xu, a resident of the community, sighed. Aunt Wang, who was watching the project progress nearby, also said with anticipation, "It makes me very happy to see the park taking on a new look every day! In the future, I’ll have a place to take my grandson to play when we go downstairs, and my elderly friends and I will also have a place to chat and exercise. Life is getting more and more comfortable."

Small projects carry major livelihood needs, and every small piece of land shows its unique beauty. The construction of Likang Road Parking Lot and the Pocket Park is not only a specific action of Xi District to optimize urban space and improve urban functions, but also a vivid practice of the tenet of "I Do Practical Things for the People". It truly "holds" the people’s full sense of happiness, making the achievements of development warmer and the people’s livelihood efforts more substantial. (Text/Photos by Xu Chen)