A new book highlights the secret green oases and local gems hiding in cities across the globe Cities attract residents and tourists alike for their energy. The constant movement and activity, the visual poetry, and the sensory overload can be both engaging and addictive.
But, as anyone who?s navigated a crowded crosswalk or packed into an overstuffed subway car will agree, sometimes that urban exhilaration needs an off switch. That?s often where gardens and community green spaces come into play, offering vital moments of sanity and solitude in an otherwise kinetic urban landscape.
In her new book Green Escapes, Dr. Toby Musgrave chronicles dozens of these hidden escapes. While all urban parks and green space provide important benefits to cities, from shade and cooling to carbon sequestration and even health benefits, the secret oases and local gems collected in Musgrave?s book offer a tranquil antidote to urban life. Due to their small size?and often, devoted volunteers?these tucked-away parks and gardens provide human-interest stories, as well as the thrill of discovery, along with a chance to pause and reflect. Here are some of the stories of hidden gardens that Musgrave, an author and expert on garden history, discovered during his global quest.
Warsaw University Library Roof Garden: Warsaw, Poland

Olena Kachmar
Biblioteka Uniwersytecka w Warszawie (Warsaw University Library)

Sometimes, you just need to look up. This sprawling rooftop...