Every city and town has its public parks and reserves. A town belt of greenery was included in the earliest plans both of Wellington and of Dunedin. Both cities have now grown far beyond these belts, yet citizens consider them inviolable and strongly protest at any threat of encroachment by housing and industry. In most centres of importance throughout the country, ample parks and reserves have been set aside which provide the public with wide sporting and recreational facilities.

A worthy development is the Pukeiti Rhododendron Trust, 12 miles from New Plymouth, on the slopes of Mount Egmont. Some 600 acres, donated privately and by the State, are being planted with rhododendrons, camellias, and other similar plants, and the native bush is being cared for and improved. It is worthy of note that many cities and towns own and are developing large tracts of exotic forest – a present and potential source of income. In one respect, however, New Zealand tends to lag behind the rest of the world, for the work of street planning and roadside beautification is being restricted by overhead power and telephone wires. Roading engineers in general have much to learn about beautification from the United States and from Europe; but no doubt, with more money and more established roads, this aspect will not be neglected.