By 2020, 40 percent of public land in the city will be covered with green plants, flower beds and grass, while the per capita green space is expected to reach more than 10 square meters, the Shanghai Gardening Administration announced yesterday.

It's part of a "green plan" to build Shanghai into an international "garden city," officials said. Under the plan, the city's Hengsha Island, covering 50 square kilometers, will be planted with forests, while 625 square kilometers of green space will be added along local expressways and railways to improve the city's landscape.

(eastday.com November 26, 2002)