WHO are the philistines who maintain the areas around Exchange Square? Every Sunday, they spend hours and use miles of plastic tape, to fence out everybody who might like to use one of the more pleasant spaces in Central. Every year, they prune the trees to look like frayed stumps. I've seen photographs to prove that those trees were bigger when they were planted than they are now. What's wrong with the managers? Don't they like people? Don't they like trees? The spaces are nicely designed, but it seems they are never going to 'mature'. In fact, most of Central's public spaces leave something to be desired. Who can point to a tree planted in the last five years which they think will live to the age of 25? The Urban Council needs to start consulting some more forward-thinking landscape designers and managers. LI TZE MO Lamma
