Parklets
What are parklets?
A parklet is an old parking space that has been transformed into something for people to enjoy. There’s no such thing as a typical parklet; they can take many forms. They are great for bringing communities together, and providing some much-needed local green space.
The current way our cities are structured means that we accept the harm that comes with cars. As part of our Car Free Cities campaign we want to help people reimagine their streets as places free from the harms of car dominance. Parklets are a great way to do this by giving space back to people and nature.
Parklets can be unique to your neighbourhood; with residents co-designing and maintaining them, they can increase peoples’ sense of belonging whilst meeting local needs. Parklets offer a place for children and adults to play outside and develop their independence. They can provide a space for those with mobility needs to rest, improve people’s access to greenery and public space, foster a stronger sense of community, whilst also being a place to learn new things. You can grow fruit and veg on them, use them as performance spaces or areas for outdoor learning, or even just have them as a simple patch of grass.
In a world recovering from a global health crisis whilst also tackling the climate crisis; green space, and access to it, has never been more important. Green spaces help clean our air and cool us down. Being outside in nature fosters happiness and social connection, and can improve our health and wellbeing. But not everyone has the same access to adequate green space.
These graphics show publicly accessible green space in our four Car Free Cities: Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, and London. Tap or click to make them bigger. As you can see, access to green space is not always fairly distributed.
Parklets are a great way to transform our streets and bring people closer to nature. They provide the opportunity for communities to engage with nature and each other, whilst also helping residents reimagine their street space.
Get parklets on your streets!
We are calling for councils across the country to set up a simple process that lets any resident transform their street with a permanent community parklet.
Local residents, such as yourself, must be actively involved and engaged in the process of reclaiming and reimagining the streets you live in. Therefore, councils across the country must establish a simple process that lets residents create their own permanent community parklets.
You can take action by emailing your councillor to demonstrate how we can improve the streets we live in by converting parking spaces into parklets. You have the power to transform your street and start initiatives that challenge car dominance and can help tackle the climate crisis.
Parklet Plotter
Use our parklet plotter to find a spot you think would be ideal for a new parklet. We’ve created an interactive map to help people learn more about the areas they live in - from which communities have the least access to green space to how different areas measure up against the multiple deprivation index. Where could parklets be installed to best help improve access to green space and give streets back to people and nature?
Design your own parklet
What does your perfect parklet look like? Maybe it’s a place to rest and relax outside, or play and socialise. Maybe it’s a place to grow some veg, or park your bike. The possibilities are endless!
Why not have a go at designing your own parklet? Download our design tool to create your own parklet, and share your design with us.
Parklets pot
We want to help communities transform parking spaces into areas to rest, socialise, play, and fill with plants. Can you help us spark this parklet dream? With your help we can get this show on the road (or into old parking spaces at least) and help pave the way for cleaner and greener neighbourhoods.
What a really great idea, I will watch this ones progress!
The blog song for today is: "with a little help from my friends"by the Beatles
TTFN
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