Parklets are very small parks or mini-plazas that are constructed in on-street car parks. San Francisco’s parklets programme provides inspiration for how we may use parking spaces to drive better community, environmental and economic outcomes in our neighbourhoods.
Parklets are often constructed either where urban park areas are lacking or where footpaths are too narrow to provide adequate space. Parklets can radically improve a street environment by reclaiming parts of the street for pedestrians and bringing vibrancy to the immediate area. This Case Study looks at examples of excellent parklets in the city of San Francisco.
In 2009 San Francisco launched its Great Streets Project. Modeled on New York City’s (NYC) ‘Streets Renaissance’ its aim is to prove the multiple benefits of reclaiming road reserve for pedestrian usage.
San Francisco’s Great Streets Project initially worked with political and business leaders to test, analyse and institutionalise Placemaking within the road reserve. To this end parklets were one of the first types of demonstration project undertaken by NYC and San Francisco. The demonstration projects were not done in isolation. These cities were also developing large-scale public campaigns, detailed Strategies, Plans and Implementation schedules, in conjunction with extensive community consultation and engagement programmes, to bring about a culture change in how streets should be viewed and used.
As stated by Enrique Penalosa, the former mayor of Bogota, Columbia who opened San Francisco’s Great Street Project launch, “..The amount of space allocated to cars is not fixed, but rather a political decision that can drastically reshape the city..”