Parklets

These are heady times for public space advocates. At long last the promotion of streets, sidewalks, parks and playgrounds has become part of the eminent design and development dialogue, and with it hopefully the recognition of the needs and rights of the user. This certainly is the situation in California where the approval of parklets, and other smaller scaled, vest pocket, public projects are being hotly pursued, and in other cities where the noble if not naive Occupy movement raised the profile and purpose of public space.

October 17, 2012 - Sam Hall Kaplan

Sustainable real estate developer, A-P Hurd asks some fundamental questions about the on-street parking in her Seattle neighborhood and concludes that residents should be able to do more than park cars with the spots in front of their homes.

October 17, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

First appearing in San Francisco in 2005, Park(ing) Day aims to call attention to the need for more urban open space by taking over parking spots and re-purposing them as temporary public spaces. Today it is being celebrated across the world.

September 21, 2012 - The New York Times

With the global success of the city's homegrown "parklets" program firmly established, the Gray Area Foundation for the Arts is hosting a series of "urban prototyping" festivals in S.F. in the hopes of finding the next DIY superstar.

August 28, 2012 - The Atlantic Cities

With only one parklet completed in the city thus far, L.A. has its work cut out to catch its pioneering northern neighbor San Francisco, and their 40 parklets. By the end of this week, however, the city hopes to have the ball rolling.

August 21, 2012 - Streetsblog LA

As they wait for construction materials to arrive, the race is on to see which of Chicago's two permitted parklets, which the CDOT calls "People Spots," will be the city's first to be completed.

August 5, 2012 - The Architect's Newspaper

As the number of completed parklets in San Francisco nears three dozen, after debuting only two years ago, "the latest trend in urban placemaking" has entered the planning mainstream without losing its grassroots origins.

July 16, 2012 - San Francisco Chronicle

Economist David Birch coined the term "gazelle" to refer to small businesses that double their size every four years. Charlie Gandy says these gazelles are incredibly useful when it comes to placemaking.

June 29, 2012 - Project For Public Spaces

Parklets are a new urban trend spreading to cities all over the world. It's an idea born in San Francisco, and the San Francisco Chronicle's John King takes a tour of each of the city's new mini-parks

January 1, 2012 - San Francisco Chronicle

Warren Karlenzig pays San Francisco a visit to tour its 15 "parklets", tiny urban public spaces carved out of underused road space or a couple of parking lots.

September 27, 2011 - GreenFlow

John King of The San Francisco Chronicle examines the installation of mobile planters around the Yerba Buena District in San Francisco; part of a 10-year revitalization initiative to bring new meaning and boundaries surrounding public space.

August 19, 2011 - The San Francisco Chronicle

Philadelphia is opening its first "parklet" -- a small public park space built on street parking spaces.

August 4, 2011 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Parking spaces in San Francisco are being repurposed as small patio-like park spaces and out door seating areas. John King of the San Francisco Chronicle looks at how they've become part of the city.

July 15, 2011 - San Francisco Chronicle

Imported from Europe, parklets transform parking spaces into inviting public spaces. They are flourishing in San Francisco, and are poised to invade other cities across the country.

June 29, 2011 - California Planning & Development Report

The Actual Cafe in Oakland, California proudly opened an extension of their space last Wednesday into a parking space, creating a parklet for customers. Later that evening, someone stole the whole thing.

May 23, 2011 - Oakland Local

Andres Power, an urban designer for the San Francisco Planning Department, is the driving force behind the city's now-popular Pavement to Park program. Streetsblog's Bryan Goebel sat down to talk with him about the process.

May 11, 2011 - Streetsblog

The City of San Francisco is expanding its program of "parklets" -- small public patio-like spaces built on parking spots.

March 25, 2011 - The San Francisco Examiner

Heather Smith talks with urban designer Andres Power about his work creating parklets within the San Francisco Planning Department.

September 3, 2010 - Metropolis Magazine