It's not that the residents here don't want to use this small courtyard; it's just that the dirt's surface, the walls, the tree trunks, and branches have accumulated a thick layer of compacted dirt over time. It looks like coal smoke turned into a gelatinous substance. If you smear this stuff on a person's face, they wouldn't be able to breathe either. So, naturally, you can't expect the plants to thrive in such an environment.
But the courtyard is not entirely useless, at least the two buildings on the east and south sides rely on it for light.
As for the other two sides of the courtyard, they're wrapped with walls. But looking at the dilapidated state of these walls, don't expect them to serve any anti-theft purpose. It's already a minor miracle that these walls haven't collapsed yet.
