BEIJING — China urged efforts to expedite the building of pocket parks across the country to improve people's living environments, according to a statement published on Aug 9 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

China aims to build at least 1,000 pocket parks in 2022. To achieve this goal, each provincial-level region should strive to build no less than 40 such parks this year, the statement said.

Local authorities should give priority to choosing indigenous plants for the parks, and give full consideration to the needs of nearby residents in building the parks, the statement added.

Pocket parks refer to small outdoor public spaces covering an area of between 400 to 10,000 square meters, according to the statement.