The entire city should be your backyard
Chinese cities aren't making the same mistakes American cities made.
Throughout the second half of the 20th century, Americans flocked to the suburbs. Houses got bigger and backyards grew to include decks, pools, playgrounds and sandboxes. People competed with the Joneses to have a bigger house so that they could fit more toys.
The movement to American suburbs grew out of violence in once bustling cities as people escaped dangerous downtowns to find a fenced-in oasis of their own to raise their families in peace and safety. While they gained safety and exclusive space, they lost the convenient access to third places and social interaction that safe and well-designed cities provide to their residents.
A walk around modern Shenzhen shows how Chinese cities aren't making the same mistake. There is park after park filled with grassy areas for picnics, play and sports facilities of all kinds, benches, tables and exercise equipment all connected together with tree-shaded bicycle paths and sidewalks. Every where is clean, safe and well-lit and no one is doing drugs or harassing passersby. Neighbors and their families are eating, playing and enjoying each other's company in a type of peace, safety and comfort that is absent from any North American or European city.