HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance 6456113 West Mountain Street
Fayetteville, AR 72701
(479) 575-8323
Ordinance: 6456
File Number: 2021-0471
AMEND § 178.02 SIDEWALK CAFES:
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND § 178.02 SIDEWALK CAFES TO STREAMLINE AND
MAKE PERMANENT THE SIDEWALK CAFE AND PARKLET DEVELOPMENT
PROCESSES FOR USE BY RESTAURANTS, BARS, PERFORMANCE VENUES, AND
OTHER BUSINESSES
WHEREAS, the use of sidewalk space is currently allowed through the sidewalk cafe permit process
but the use of City owned parking spaces for parklets and the lifting of review and permitting
processes for sidewalk cafes and parklets that were authorized by Ordinance 6332 have ended with
the expiration of the Governor's emergency declaration; and
WHEREAS, the proposed amendments to §178.02 clarify the process for businesses wishing to
utilize sidewalk cafes or parklets in hopes of providing additional options for expanded dining and
permanently codifying the review and permitting process for parklets and sidewalk cafes allows these
types of uses to create a sense of place throughout the City.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS:
Section 1: That the City Council of the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas hereby repeals § 178.02 -
Sidewalk Cafes of the Fayetteville Unified Development Code and enacts a new § 178.02 Sidewalk
Cafes and Parklets as seen in Exhibit A attached hereto and made a part hereof.
PASSED and APPROVED on 7/6/2021
Page 1 Printed on 7/7/21
Ordinance 6456
File Number 2021-0471
Attest:
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Kara Paxton, City Clerk Treasuf*r �E��LCf ���
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Page 2 Printed on 717121
EXHIBIT A
178.02 - Sidewalk Cafes and Parklets
(A) Public rights -of -way are designed for free and unobstructed travel. However, the City of Fayetteville
recognizes that certain developed and developing areas in a traditional town form are unique and that
certain public amenities are not inconsistent with the underlying dedication for the public right-of-way,
as long as they do not impede travel or interfere with the public safety. This ordinance is designed to
encourage pedestrian activity and make the urban environment more attractive.
(B) Sidewalk Cafes: The City may issue a permit allowing a sidewalk cafe on part of a specified sidewalk if
the following requirements are met:
(1) The proposed sidewalk cafe shall not unduly impact or impede the public's ability to travel
upon or use the sidewalk and any other affected public right-of-way. If at any time the sidewalk
cafe is determined by the City to impede travel or interfere with public safety, the City may
require that the sidewalk cafe be removed or modified.
(2) Any necessary costs to relocate a utility or widen the existing sidewalk to accommodate the
proposed sidewalk cafe shall be paid by the sidewalk cafe applicant.
(3) The sidewalk cafe applicant may be required to post a surety bond or letter of credit
sufficient to cover the cost of removing the sidewalk cafe if necessary for the city or utility
company to access pipes, lines, or other facilities.
(4) The sidewalk cafe applicant must consent that the city or a utility company may remove,
without liability or compensation, part or all of the sidewalk cafe, if necessary, to access a utility
easement, facility, or improvement.
(5) Applicants requesting a permit must provide a detailed site plan and written description
illustrating the type, location and dimensions of all furniture to be placed in the public right-of-
way. Sidewalk cafes may not be enclosed by fixed walls or other permanent structures.
(6) Sidewalk cafes must be open to the air, except that an awning or canopy conforming to
requirements established by the Unified Development Code and Building Code may be
constructed over the sidewalk cafe. In order to provide sufficient pedestrian clearance,
umbrellas must have 7 feet of free and clear space from the sidewalk surface to the lower edge
of the umbrella.
(7) Property shall be kept clean and free of refuse with no permanent trash containers placed on
the premises.
(8) All furnishings and fixtures must be of a temporary nature and shall be removed from the
public right-of-way and stored inside during non -operational times.
(9) For sidewalk cafes using city right-of-way for operation, there shall be a minimum of 5 feet or
50% of the total sidewalk width for clearance, whichever is greater, to provide adequate and
unobstructed pedestrian movement.
(10) One A -frame sandwich/menu board is permitted within the sidewalk cafe's border during
hours of operation, subject to the applicable regulations in Ch. 174: Signs for the same.
(11) The applicant shall notify adjoining property owners.
(12) Each application for a sidewalk cafe permit shall be accompanied by a $100.00 permit
review and processing fee.
(C) Parklets: The City may issue a permit allowing a parklet in paid public parking spaces for the
exclusive use of an adjacent business.
(1) Definition. A parklet is a temporary platform located on a right -of way and intended to
provide additional space for use by an adjacent business and its patrons.
(2) The City may issue a permit for a parklet if the following requirements are met:
(a) The proposed parklet shall be limited to no more than three (3) parking spaces
directly adjacent to the applicant's business and located at least one parking space from
a corner, intersections and other parklets.
(b) Applicants requesting a permit shall provide a detailed site plan and written
description illustrating the type, location and dimensions of the parklet elements to be
placed in the public right-of-way.
(c) The applicant shall pay the parking fees established in Chapter 72 Parking
Regulations, including any adjustments or amendments thereto.
(d) The applicant shall provide notice to adjoining property owners.
(e) Utility access. The applicant shall consent that the parklet will not inhibit access to,
maintenance or operation of any public utility. If the parklet is located over a utility
main or any appurtenances, the establishment shall remove the parklet to
accommodate any work on utilities. The applicant shall also consent that the city or any
utility company may remove, without liability or compensation, part or all the parklet if
necessary to access a utility easement, facility or improvement
(f) Alcohol. The establishment shall agree to comply with all state and local laws
regarding the consumption, sale, and serving of alcoholic beverages.
(g) Conditions of parklet. The establishment shall agree to maintain all elements of the
parklet in good condition. Elements experiencing routine wear and tear shall be
repaired or placed. Parklet must be free of debris, grime, and graffiti. All parklet
vegetation must be watered and maintained. Amplified music is prohibited in the
parklet.
(h) Inspections. The establishment shall agree to periodic inspections by city staff for
compliance with all regulations.
(i) One A -frame sandwich/menu board is permitted within the public sidewalk adjacent
to the parklet during the applicant's regular hours of operation, subject to the applicable
regulations in Ch. 174: Signs for the same. Each establishment can place only one sign in
the right of way.
(j) Each application for a parklet permit shall be accompanied by a $100.00 permit
review and processing fee.
(k) Minimum Design Standards. The establishment shall agree to comply with the
Minimum design standards set forth below.
(1) Corner locations. The proposed parklet site shall be located at least one
parking spot from a corner or protected by a bollard, sidewalk bulb -out, or other
similar feature, if located at the corner.
(11) Speed limit. Parklets are permitted where the posted speed limit is 30 mph
or less. Streets with higher speed limits may be considered on a case -by -case
basis may be considered and approved by the City Engineer.
(III) Street slope. Parklets must be situated on streets with a running slope
(grade) of five percent or less or provide a level surface to meet this grade.
(IV) Buffers & Safety Elements. Parklets shall be required to have a buffer to
protect users from street traffic. Buffers can be either reflective tape, planters,
durable seating, temporary railing/edging, or other visible, protective edging as
approved by staff in the application process. Parklets shall be required to have
soft hit posts and wheel stops. Parklets must be situated a minimum of 2 feet
from the nearest edge of traveled way. Planters used as edging features are
required to be large and durable.
(V) Utilities. Parklets shall not be allowed in front of a fire hydrant, or over a
manhole, public utility valve, or cover. Curb and roadside drainage shall not be
impeded by the parklet. If decking is being constructed, the decking should
allow for easy access underneath and curbside drainage shall not be impeded. A
gap of 6 inches should be maintained between the body of the deck and the
asphalt to facilitate the movement of water. The proposed parklet shall not
unduly impact or impede the public's ability to travel upon or use the public
right-of-way. If at any time the parklet is determined by the City to impede
travel or interfere with public safety, the City may require that the parklet be
removed or modified.
(VI) Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance. All elements of Parklets shall be
constructed and/or installed to conform to the applicable provisions, rules,
regulations, and guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
(VII) Design for easy removal. Parklets are temporary in nature and must be
designed for easy removal. All removable furniture must be locked or stowed
each night.
(VIII) Porklet decking. Parklet decking must be flush with the curb and may not
have more than %: inch gap from the curb. If decking is installed, a minimum 36
inch ADA accessible entryway to the parklet must be maintained. Platforms shall
not exceed a 2% cross slope. Deck installation shall not damage the sidewalk,
street, curb, street trees or any aspect of the public right-of-way. Due to the
temporary nature of the parklet, any proposed decking shall not be allowed to
be bolted into the asphalt and must include semi -permanent materials installed
in a way that does not require reconfiguring the roadway or pouring concrete.
(IX) Edging. All proposed edging shall be visually permeable. Due to the
temporary nature of the parklets, all edging or railing shall not be bolted to the
asphalt. The temporary railing shall be durable enough to stand on its own and
should have a sturdy base.
(X) Visual design. Parklet designs must maintain a visual connection to the street
and not obstruct sight lines to existing businesses or roadway signage. While not
visible from the sidewalk, the parklet's back is highly visible from across the
street. Large blank walls are discouraged. No signage may be painted on the
parklet wall.
(XI) Materials. Materials should be high quality, durable, waterproof, and
capable of withstanding heavy use and exposure to the elements. Loose
particles such as sand or loose stone are not permitted within the parklet area.
All furniture must be designed for outdoor use. Sofas as parklet furniture is
prohibited. All materials and seating or table constructions and configurations
are subject to inspection and require a permit at the discretion of City staff.
(XII) Open air. Parklets may not be enclosed by walls or permanent structures.
Parklets must be open to the air, except that a removable, temporary, awning,
canopy, or umbrella, may be placed or constructed over the parklet. In order to
provide sufficient pedestrian clearance, awnings, canopies and umbrellas shall
have 7 feet of free and clear space from the road surface to the lower edge of
the umbrella, awning or canopy. Fixed permanent roofing is not allowed.
(3) Revocation of Parklet Permit. A permit may be revoked by the city upon a finding that the
establishment has violated any terms of the permit; that the parklet causes a health/safety risk;
that a city ordinance or state or federal law has been violated; the establishment or the parklet
is not being adequately maintained; that the city has initiated an infrastructure improvement
project in the parking space or public right of way; or upon a majority vote of the City Council.
City of Fayetteville, Arkansas 113 West Mountain Street
Fayetteville, AR 72701
(479)575-8323
Text File
File Number: 2021-0471
Agenda Date: 7/6/2021 Version: 1 Status: Passed
In Control: City Council Meetinq File Type: Ordinance
Agenda Number: C.8
AMEND § 178.02 SIDEWALK CAFES:
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND § 178.02 SIDEWALK CAFES TO STREAMLINE AND MAKE
PERMANENT THE SIDEWALK CAFE AND PARKLET DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES FOR USE
BY RESTAURANTS, BARS, PERFORMANCE VENUES, AND OTHER BUSINESSES
WHEREAS, the use of sidewalk space is currently allowed through the sidewalk caf6 permit process but the
use of City owned parking spaces for parklets and the lifting of review and permitting processes for sidewalk
cafes and parklets that were authorized by Ordinance 6332 have ended with the expiration of the Governor's
emergency declaration; and
WHEREAS, the proposed amendments to § 178.02 clarify the process for businesses wishing to utilize
sidewalk cafes or parklets in hopes of providing additional options for expanded dining and permanently
codifying the review and permitting process for parklets and sidewalk cafes allows these types of uses to create
a sense of place throughout the City.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS:
Section 1: That the City Council of the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas hereby repeals § 178.02 - Sidewalk
Cafes of the Fayetteville Unified Development Code and enacts a new § 178.02 Sidewalk Cafes and
Parklets as seen in Exhibit A attached hereto and made a part hereof.
City of Fayetteville, Arkansas Page 1 Printed on 7/7/2021
Mary McGetrick
Submitted By
City of Fayetteville Staff Review Form
2021-0471
Legistar File ID
7/6/2021
City Council Meeting Date - Agenda Item Only
N/A for Non -Agenda Item
6/17/2021 DEVELOPMENT SERVICES (620)
Submitted Date Division / Department
Action Recommendation:
Staff recommends approval of an amendment to section § 178.02 — Sidewalk Cafes to streamline and make
permanent the sidewalk cafe process and parklet development process for use by restaurants, bars, performance
venues, and other businesses.
Account Number
Project Number
Budgeted Item? No
Does item have a cost? No
Budget Adjustment Attached? No
Budget Impact:
Current Budget
Funds Obligated
Current Balance
Item Cost
Budget Adjustment
Remaining Budget
Fund
Project Title
$
V20210527
Purchase Order Number: Previous Ordinance or Resolution #
Change Order Number:
Original Contract Number:
Comments:
Approval Date:
CITY OF
FAYETTEVILLE
ARKANSAS
MEETING OF JULY 6, 2021
TO: Mayor and City Council
THRU: Susan Norton, Chief of Staff
Jonathan Curth, Development Services Director
FROM: Mary McGetrick, Long Range Planning Manager
DATE: June 17, 2021
CITY COUNCIL MEMO
SUBJECT: Amendment section § 178.02 — Sidewalk Cafes to strike reference to the
emergency ordinance enacted during the Covid-19 emergency and to add a
permitting process and design guideline for parklets.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff is recommending approval of an amendment to section § 178.02 — Sidewalk Cafes to
streamline and make permanent the sidewalk cafe and parklet development processes for use
by restaurants, bars, performance venues, and other businesses.
BACKGROUND:
The use of sidewalk space is currently allowed through the sidewalk cafe permit process. The
use of city owned parking spaces for parklets and the lifting of review and permitting processes
for sidewalk cafes and parklets via emergency Ordinance 6332 has expired with the expiration
of the emergency ordinance. The attached ordinance amendment clarifies the process for
businesses wishing to utilize one or both in hopes of providing additional options for expanded
dining. Permanently codifying the review and permitting process for parklets and sidewalk cafes
allows these types of uses to create a sense of place throughout the City
Parklets are small platforms that take the place of one or multiple on -street parking spaces,
which extend the sidewalk to provide new space for seats, tables, or other
public amenities. Parklets are built, operated and maintained by an adjacent business or
organization, and they offer residents and visitors new opportunities to stop, sit, and
enjoy the surrounding neighborhood street life. Parklets invigorate the pedestrian realm with
activity, thereby contributing to a 24-hour urban core. With proper design and management,
parklets add vitality to the street by encouraging walking, shopping, dining, and socializing,
which in turn boost economic development efforts.
DISCUSSION:
City Council amended § 178.02 — Sidewalk Cafes during the Covid 19 pandemic to allow
parklets in order to increase capacity when indoor capacity was limited for bars and restaurants.
This amendment enables various restaurants and bars to explore if sidewalk or parklet seating
is something their business could benefit as they recover from the pandemic. With the expiration
of the Covid 19 emergency additional amendments are required to allow parklets to continue to
Mailing Address:
113 W. Mountain Street www.fayetteville-ar.gov
Fayetteville, AR 72701
operate. This ordinance amendment encourages expanded use of parklets within City -owned
right-of-way by developing a set of design guidelines and permitting processes as highlighted
below.
• Strikes the emergency provision that waived the fees and permitting steps associated
with obtaining sidewalk cafe and parklet permits.
Includes language to permanently allow parklets and sets a permitting process and
review fee for the permit
• Includes provisions which ensure safe use, ADA access and design guidelines.
• This amendment interfaces well with the Outdoor Refreshment Ordinance and allows
businesses the opportunity to be creative and try new things.
BUDGET/STAFF IMPACT:
N/A
Attachments:
Unified Development Code § 178.02 — Sidewalk Cafes (Strikethrough/highlight)
Unified Development Code §178.02 — Sidewalk Cafes (Final)
Ordinance 6332
NACTO Parklet Guidelines
178.02 - Sidewalk Cafes and Parklets
(A) Public rights -of -way are designed for free and unobstructed travel. However, the City of Fayetteville
recognizes that certain developed and developing areas in a traditional town form are unique and that
certain public amenities are not inconsistent with the underlying dedication for the public right-of-way,
as long as they do not impede travel or interfere with the public safety. This ordinance is designed to
encourage pedestrian activity and make the urban environment more attractive.
(B) Sidewalk Cafes: The Gity Dlanning Diyisien The City may issue a permit allowing a sidewalk cafe on
part of a specified sidewalk. The Gity Dlanning Division if the following requirements are met:
(1) The proposed sidewalk cafe shall not unduly impact or impede the public's ability to travel
upon or use the sidewalk and any other affected public right-of-way. If at any time the sidewalk
cafe is determined by the City to impede travel or interfere with public safety, the City may
require that the sidewalk cafe be removed or modified.
(2) Any necessary costs to relocate a utility or widen the existing sidewalk to accommodate the
proposed sidewalk cafe shall be paid by the sidewalk cafe applicant.
(3) The sidewalk cafe applicant may be required to post a surety bond or letter of credit
sufficient to cover the cost of removing the sidewalk cafe if necessary for the city or utility
company to access pipes, lines, or other facilities.
(4) The sidewalk cafe applicant must consent that the city or a utility company may remove,
without liability or compensation, part or all of the sidewalk cafe, if necessary, to access a utility
easement, facility, or improvement.
(5) Applicants requesting aliesemse permit must provide a detailed site plan and written
description illustrating the type, location and dimensions of all furniture to be placed in the
public right-of-way. Sidewalk cafes may not be enclosed by fixed walls or other permanent
structures.
(6) Sidewalk cafes must be open to the air, except that an awning or canopy conforming to
requirements established by the Unified Development Code and Building Code may be
constructed over the sidewalk cafe. In order to provide sufficient pedestrian clearance,
umbrellas must have 7 feet of free and clear space from the sidewalk surface to the lower edge
of the umbrella.
(7) Property shall be kept clean and free of refuse with no permanent trash containers placed on
the premises.
(8) All furnishings and fixtures must be of a temporary nature and shall be removed from the
public right-of-way and stored inside during non -operational times.
(9) For sidewalk cafes using city right-of-way for operation, there shall be a minimum of 5 feet or
50% of the total sidewalk width for clearance, whichever is greater, to provide adequate and
unobstructed pedestrian movement.
(10) One A -frame sandwich/menu board is permitted within the sidewalk cafe's border during
hours of operation, subject to the applicable regulations in Ch. 174: Signs for the same.
(11) The applicant shall notify adjoining property owners.
(12) Each application for a sidewalk cafe permit shall be accompanied by a $100.00 permit
review and processing fee.
(D) Parklets: The City may issue a permit allowing a parklet in paid public parking spaces for the exclusive
use of an adjacent business.
(1) Definition. A parklet is a temporary platform located on a right -of way and intended to
provide additional space for use by an adjacent business and its patrons.
(2) The City may issue a permit for a parklet if the following requirements are met:
(b) The proposed parklet shall be limited to no more than three (3) parking spaces
directly adjacent to the applicant's business and located at least one parking space from
a corner, intersections and other parklets.
(c) Applicants requesting a permit shall provide a detailed site plan and written
description illustrating the type, location and dimensions of the parklet elements to be
placed in the public right-of-way.
(d) The applicant shall provide notice to adjoining property owners.
(e) Utility access. The applicant shall consent that the parklet will not inhibit access to,
maintenance or operation of any public utility. If the parklet is located over a utility
main or any appurtenances, the establishment shall remove the parklet to
accommodate any work on utilities. The applicant shall also consent that the city or any
utility company may remove, without liability or compensation, part or all the parklet if
necessary to access a utility easement, facility or improvement
(f) Alcohol. The establishment shall agree to comply with all state and local laws
regarding the consumption, sale, and serving of alcoholic beverages.
(g) Conditions of parklet. The establishment shall agree to maintain all elements of the
parklet in good condition. Elements experiencing routine wear and tear shall be
repaired or placed. Parklet must be free of debris, grime, and graffiti. All parklet
vegetation must be watered and maintained. Amplified music is prohibited in the
parklet.
(h) Inspections. The establishment shall agree to periodic inspections by city staff for
compliance with all regulations.
(i) One A -frame sandwich/menu board is permitted within the public sidewalk adjacent
to the parklet during the applicant's regular hours of operation, subject to the applicable
regulations in Ch. 174: Signs for the same. Each establishment can place only one sign in
the right of way.
(j) Each application for a parklet permit shall be accompanied by a $100.00 permit
review and processing fee.
(k) Minimum Design Standards. The establishment shall agree to comply with the
Minimum design standards set forth below.
(1) Corner locations. The proposed parklet site shall be located at least one
parking spot from a corner or protected by a bollard, sidewalk bulb -out, or other
similar feature, if located at the corner.
(II) Speed limit. Parklets are permitted where the posted speed limit is 30 mph
or less. Streets with higher speed limits may be considered on a case -by -case
basis may be considered and approved by the City Engineer.
(III) Street slope. Parklets must be situated on streets with a running slope
(grade) of five percent or less or provide a level surface to meet this grade.
(IV) Buffers & Safety Elements. Parklets shall be required to have a buffer to
protect users from street traffic. Buffers can be either reflective tape, planters,
durable seating, temporary railing/edging, or other visible, protective edging as
approved by staff in the application process. Parklets shall be required to have
soft hit posts and wheel stops. Parklets must be situated a minimum of 2 feet
from the nearest edge of traveled way. Planters used as edging features are
required to be large and durable.
(V) Utilities. Parklets shall not be allowed in front of a fire hydrant, or over a
manhole, public utility valve, or cover. Curb and roadside drainage shall not be
impeded by the parklet. If decking is being constructed, the decking should
allow for easy access underneath and curbside drainage shall not be impeded. A
gap of 6 inches should be maintained between the body of the deck and the
asphalt to facilitate the movement of water. The proposed parklet shall not
unduly impact or impede the public's ability to travel upon or use the public
right-of-way. If at any time the parklet is determined by the City to impede
travel or interfere with public safety, the City may require that the parklet be
removed or modified.
(VI) Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance. All elements of Parklets shall be
constructed and/or installed to conform to the applicable provisions, rules,
regulations, and guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
(VII) Design for easy removal. Parklets are temporary in nature and must be
designed for easy removal. All removable furniture must be locked or stowed
each night.
(VIII) Parklet decking. Parklet decking must be flush with the curb and may not
have more than % inch gap from the curb. If decking is installed, a minimum 36
inch ADA accessible entryway to the parklet must be maintained. Platforms shall
not exceed a 2% cross slope. Deck installation shall not damage the sidewalk,
street, curb, street trees or any aspect of the public right-of-way. Due to the
temporary nature of the parklet, any proposed decking shall not be allowed to
be bolted into the asphalt and must include semi -permanent materials installed
in a way that does not require reconfiguring the roadway or pouring concrete.
(IX) Edging. All proposed edging shall be visually permeable. Due to the
temporary nature of the parklets, all edging or railing shall not be bolted to the
asphalt. The temporary railing shall be durable enough to stand on its own and
should have a sturdy base.
(X) Visual design. Parklet designs must maintain a visual connection to the street
and not obstruct sight lines to existing businesses or roadway signage. While not
visible from the sidewalk, the parklet's back is highly visible from across the
street. Large blank walls are discouraged. No signage may be painted on the
parklet wall.
(XI) Materials. Materials should be high quality, durable, waterproof, and
capable of withstanding heavy use and exposure to the elements. Loose
particles such as sand or loose stone are not permitted within the parklet area.
All furniture must be designed for outdoor use. Sofas as parklet furniture is
prohibited. All materials and seating or table constructions and configurations
are subject to inspection and require a permit at the discretion of City staff.
(XII) Open air. Parklets may not be enclosed by walls or permanent structures.
Parklets must be open to the air, except that a removable, temporary, awning,
canopy, or umbrella, may be placed or constructed over the parklet. In order to
provide sufficient pedestrian clearance, awnings, canopies and umbrellas shall
have 7 feet of free and clear space from the road surface to the lower edge of
the umbrella, awning or canopy. Fixed permanent roofing is not allowed.
(3) Revocation of Parklet Permit. A permit may be revoked by the city upon a finding that the
establishment has violated any terms of the permit; that the parklet causes a health/safety risk; that a
city ordinance or state or federal law has been violated; the establishment or the parklet is not being
adequately maintained; or that the city has initiated an infrastructure improvement project in the
parking space or public right of way.
178.02 - Sidewalk Cafes and Parklets
(A) Public rights -of -way are designed for free and unobstructed travel. However, the City of Fayetteville
recognizes that certain developed and developing areas in a traditional town form are unique and that
certain public amenities are not inconsistent with the underlying dedication for the public right-of-way,
as long as they do not impede travel or interfere with the public safety. This ordinance is designed to
encourage pedestrian activity and make the urban environment more attractive.
(B) Sidewalk Cafes: The City may issue a permit allowing a sidewalk cafe on part of a specified sidewalk if
the following requirements are met:
(1) The proposed sidewalk cafe shall not unduly impact or impede the public's ability to travel
upon or use the sidewalk and any other affected public right-of-way. If at any time the sidewalk
cafe is determined by the City to impede travel or interfere with public safety, the City may
require that the sidewalk cafe be removed or modified.
(2) Any necessary costs to relocate a utility or widen the existing sidewalk to accommodate the
proposed sidewalk cafe shall be paid by the sidewalk cafe applicant.
(3) The sidewalk cafe applicant may be required to post a surety bond or letter of credit
sufficient to cover the cost of removing the sidewalk cafe if necessary for the city or utility
company to access pipes, lines, or other facilities.
(4) The sidewalk cafe applicant must consent that the city or a utility company may remove,
without liability or compensation, part or all of the sidewalk cafe, if necessary, to access a utility
easement, facility, or improvement.
(5) Applicants requesting a permit must provide a detailed site plan and written description
illustrating the type, location and dimensions of all furniture to be placed in the public right-of-
way. Sidewalk cafes may not be enclosed by fixed walls or other permanent structures.
(6) Sidewalk cafes must be open to the air, except that an awning or canopy conforming to
requirements established by the Unified Development Code and Building Code may be
constructed over the sidewalk cafe. In order to provide sufficient pedestrian clearance,
umbrellas must have 7 feet of free and clear space from the sidewalk surface to the lower edge
of the umbrella.
(7) Property shall be kept clean and free of refuse with no permanent trash containers placed on
the premises.
(8) All furnishings and fixtures must be of a temporary nature and shall be removed from the
public right-of-way and stored inside during non -operational times.
(9) For sidewalk cafes using city right-of-way for operation, there shall be a minimum of 5 feet or
50% of the total sidewalk width for clearance, whichever is greater, to provide adequate and
unobstructed pedestrian movement.
(10) One A -frame sandwich/menu board is permitted within the sidewalk cafe's border during
hours of operation, subject to the applicable regulations in Ch. 174: Signs for the same.
(11) The applicant shall notify adjoining property owners.
(12) Each application for a sidewalk cafe permit shall be accompanied by a $100.00 permit
review and processing fee.
(D) Parklets: The City may issue a permit allowing a parklet in paid public parking spaces for the
exclusive use of an adjacent business.
(1) Definition. A parklet is a temporary platform located on a right -of way and intended to
provide additional space for use by an adjacent business and its patrons.
(2) The City may issue a permit for a parklet if the following requirements are met:
(b) The proposed parklet shall be limited to no more than three (3) parking spaces
directly adjacent to the applicant's business and located at least one parking space from
a corner, intersections and other parklets.
(c) Applicants requesting a permit shall provide a detailed site plan and written
description illustrating the type, location and dimensions of the parklet elements to be
placed in the public right-of-way.
(d) The applicant shall provide notice to adjoining property owners.
(e) Utility access. The applicant shall consent that the parklet will not inhibit access to,
maintenance or operation of any public utility. If the parklet is located over a utility
main or any appurtenances, the establishment shall remove the parklet to
accommodate any work on utilities. The applicant shall also consent that the city or any
utility company may remove, without liability or compensation, part or all the parklet if
necessary to access a utility easement, facility or improvement
(f) Alcohol. The establishment shall agree to comply with all state and local laws
regarding the consumption, sale, and serving of alcoholic beverages.
(g) Conditions of parklet. The establishment shall agree to maintain all elements of the
parklet in good condition. Elements experiencing routine wear and tear shall be
repaired or placed. Parklet must be free of debris, grime, and graffiti. All parklet
vegetation must be watered and maintained. Amplified music is prohibited in the
parklet.
(h) Inspections. The establishment shall agree to periodic inspections by city staff for
compliance with all regulations.
(i) One A -frame sandwich/menu board is permitted within the public sidewalk adjacent
to the parklet during the applicant's regular hours of operation, subject to the applicable
regulations in Ch. 174: Signs for the same. Each establishment can place only one sign in
the right of way.
(j) Each application for a parklet permit shall be accompanied by a $100.00 permit
review and processing fee.
(k) Minimum Design Standards. The establishment shall agree to comply with the
Minimum design standards set forth below.
(1) Corner locations. The proposed parklet site shall be located at least one
parking spot from a corner or protected by a bollard, sidewalk bulb -out, or other
similar feature, if located at the corner.
(II) Speed limit. Parklets are permitted where the posted speed limit is 30 mph
or less. Streets with higher speed limits may be considered on a case -by -case
basis may be considered and approved by the City Engineer.
(III) Street slope. Parklets must be situated on streets with a running slope
(grade) of five percent or less or provide a level surface to meet this grade.
(IV) Buffers & Safety Elements. Parklets shall be required to have a buffer to
protect users from street traffic. Buffers can be either reflective tape, planters,
durable seating, temporary railing/edging, or other visible, protective edging as
approved by staff in the application process. Parklets shall be required to have
soft hit posts and wheel stops. Parklets must be situated a minimum of 2 feet
from the nearest edge of traveled way. Planters used as edging features are
required to be large and durable.
(V) Utilities. Parklets shall not be allowed in front of a fire hydrant, or over a
manhole, public utility valve, or cover. Curb and roadside drainage shall not be
impeded by the parklet. If decking is being constructed, the decking should
allow for easy access underneath and curbside drainage shall not be impeded. A
gap of 6 inches should be maintained between the body of the deck and the
asphalt to facilitate the movement of water. The proposed parklet shall not
unduly impact or impede the public's ability to travel upon or use the public
right-of-way. If at any time the parklet is determined by the City to impede
travel or interfere with public safety, the City may require that the parklet be
removed or modified.
(VI) Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance. All elements of Parklets shall be
constructed and/or installed to conform to the applicable provisions, rules,
regulations, and guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
(VII) Design for easy removal. Parklets are temporary in nature and must be
designed for easy removal. All removable furniture must be locked or stowed
each night.
(Vill) Parklet decking. Parklet decking must be flush with the curb and may not
have more than % inch gap from the curb. If decking is installed, a minimum 36
inch ADA accessible entryway to the parklet must be maintained. Platforms shall
not exceed a 2% cross slope. Deck installation shall not damage the sidewalk,
street, curb, street trees or any aspect of the public right-of-way. Due to the
temporary nature of the parklet, any proposed decking shall not be allowed to
be bolted into the asphalt and must include semi -permanent materials installed
in a way that does not require reconfiguring the roadway or pouring concrete.
(IX) Edging. All proposed edging shall be visually permeable. Due to the
temporary nature of the parklets, all edging or railing shall not be bolted to the
asphalt. The temporary railing shall be durable enough to stand on its own and
should have a sturdy base.
(X) Visual design. Parklet designs must maintain a visual connection to the street
and not obstruct sight lines to existing businesses or roadway signage. While not
visible from the sidewalk, the parklet's back is highly visible from across the
street. Large blank walls are discouraged. No signage may be painted on the
parklet wall.
(XI) Materials. Materials should be high quality, durable, waterproof, and
capable of withstanding heavy use and exposure to the elements. Loose
particles such as sand or loose stone are not permitted within the parklet area.
All furniture must be designed for outdoor use. Sofas as parklet furniture is
prohibited. All materials and seating or table constructions and configurations
are subject to inspection and require a permit at the discretion of City staff.
(XII) Open air. Parklets may not be enclosed by walls or permanent structures.
Parklets must be open to the air, except that a removable, temporary, awning,
canopy, or umbrella, may be placed or constructed over the parklet. In order to
provide sufficient pedestrian clearance, awnings, canopies and umbrellas shall
have 7 feet of free and clear space from the road surface to the lower edge of
the umbrella, awning or canopy. Fixed permanent roofing is not allowed.
(3) Revocation of Parklet Permit. A permit may be revoked by the city upon a finding that the
establishment has violated any terms of the permit; that the parklet causes a health/safety risk; that a
city ordinance or state or federal law has been violated; the establishment or the parklet is not being
adequately maintained; or that the city has initiated an infrastructure improvement project in the
parking space or public right of way.
OF Fnverr<
c;
113 West Mountain Street
Fayetteville, AR 72701
(479) 575-8323
Ordinance: 6332
File Number: 2020-0589
AMEND § 178.02 SIDEWALK CAFES:
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND § 178.02 SIDEWALK CAFES TO REMOVE CERTAIN
PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS DURING THE PERIOD OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC,
TO TEMPORARILY AUTHORIZE THE USE OF PAID PUBLIC PARKING SPACES AS
SIDEWALK CAFES BY ADJACENT BUSINESSES UPON PAYMENT OF THE
APPROPRIATE FEES, TO CLARIFY THE AUTHORIZED AREAS OF OPERATION OF
BUSINESSES IN AN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE,
ARKANSAS:
Section 1: That the City Council of the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas hereby amends § 178.02 -
Sidewalk Cafes of the Fayetteville Unified Development Code by enacting a new subsection (D) as
follows:
"(D) Temporary Measures During Declared COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.
(1) During any period of the COVID-19 public health emergency, as declared by the
Mayor, Governor, or President:
(a) The City shall waive application/permit fees and permitting steps described in
subsection (B) above.
(b) The City shall waive that portion of subsection (C)(1) requiring a detailed site
plan and written description but all sidewalk cafes shall comply with the remaining
requirements of subsection (C).
(c) The Mayor shall be authorized to reserve paid public parking spaces for the
exclusive use by adjacent businesses as sidewalk cafes upon payment of the parking
Page 1 Printed on 7114120
� � F
Ordinance. 6332
File Number 2020-0589
fees established in Article III - Parking Meters of Chapter 72 Parking Regulations.
The Mayor shall be authorized to promulgate any rules or conditions necessary to
ensure the safety of customers and staff and the equitable use of the City's public
parking spaces.
(2) The provisions of this subsection shall expire at the end of the declared COVID-19
public health emergency."
Section 2: That the City Council of the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas hereby repeals subsection (E) of
§ 111.07 Outdoor Refreshment Area and enacts a new subsection (E) as follows:
"(E) Sidewalk Cafes and Outdoor Spaces in Outdoor Refreshment Areas. If an owner within the
Outdoor Refreshment Area is authorized to operate a sidewalk cafe pursuant to § 178.02 of the
Unified Development Code or has an outdoor space located on private property:
(1) The owner may serve and allow the possession and consumption of alcoholic
beverages in open containers during the hours of operation and in the areas authorized
by the sidewalk cafe permit or in the outdoor space during the owner's posted hours
of operation.
(2) Glass containers, aluminum cans, and other types of drinkware shall be allowed
in sidewalk cafes and outdoor spaces but shall not be removed from those areas.
(3) No fencing or other enclosure of a permitted sidewalk cafe or outdoor space
located within a designated outdoor refreshment area shall be required.
(4) Outdoor spaces include, but are not limited to, parking areas, fields, lawns,
patios, and gardens as long as they are located on private property and the owner is
authorized to utilize those spaces."
Section 3: That the City Council of the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas hereby determines that this
ordinance should become effective without delay because it will provide opportunities for Fayetteville
dining establishments, residents, and visitors to comply with the directives issued by the Arkansas
Department of Health regarding limited occupancy and social distancing, which are necessary for the
public peace as well as the health and safety of Fayetteville residents. Therefore, the City Council
hereby declares an emergency exists such that this ordinance shall become effective immediately upon
its passage and approval.
PASSED and APPROVED on 7/14/2020
Page 2 Printed on 7114120
Ordinance. 6332
File Number. 2020-0589
Appe
rov
r
i
io eld Jord . M;
Attest:
ERk��''�,�
Kara Paxton. City Clerk Treasurer '� ; �F� :mi';i7v CO
Page 3 Printed on 7114120
City of Fayetteville, Arkansas 113 West Mountain Street
Fayetteville, AR 72701
(479) 575-8323
I Text File
File Number: 2020-0589
Agenda Date: 7/14/2020 Version: 1 Status: Passed
In Control: City Council Special Meeting File Type: Ordinance
Agenda Number: A. 1
AMEND § 178.02 SIDEWALK CAFES:
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND § 178.02 SIDEWALK CAFES TO REMOVE CERTAIN
PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS DURING THE PERIOD OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, TO
TEMPORARILY AUTHORIZE THE USE OF PAID PUBLIC PARKING SPACES AS SIDEWALK
CAFES BY ADJACENT BUSINESSES UPON PAYMENT OF THE APPROPRIATE FEES, TO
CLARIFY THE AUTHORIZED AREAS OF OPERATION OF BUSINESSES IN AN
ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS:
Section 1: That the City Council of the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas hereby amends § 178.02 - Sidewalk
Cafes of the Fayetteville Unified Development Code by enacting a new subsection (D) as follows:
"(D) Temporary Measures During Declared COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.
(1) During any period of the COVID-19 public health emergency, as declared by the Mayor,
Governor, or President:
(a) The City shall waive application/permit fees and permitting steps described in subsection
(B) above.
(b) The City shall waive that portion of subsection (C)(1) requiring a detailed site plan and
written description but all sidewalk cafes shall comply with the remaining requirements of
subsection (C).
(c) The Mayor shall be authorized to reserve paid public parking spaces for the exclusive use
by adjacent businesses as sidewalk cafes upon payment of the parking fees established in
Article III - Parking Meters of Chapter 72 Parking Regulations. The Mayor shall be
authorized to promulgate any rules or conditions necessary to ensure the safety of customers
and staff and the equitable use of the City's public parking spaces.
(2) The provisions of this subsection shall expire at the end of the declared COVID-19 public health
emergency."
Section 2: That the City Council of the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas hereby repeals subsection (E) of §
111.07 Outdoor Refreshment Area and enacts a new subsection (E) as follows:
"(E) Sidewalk Cafes and Outdoor Spaces in Outdoor Refreshment Areas. If an owner within the Outdoor
City of Fayetteville, Arkansas Page 1 Printed on 711412020
File Number. 2020-0589
Refreshment Area is authorized to operate a sidewalk cafe pursuant to § 178.02 of the Unified Development
Code or has an outdoor space located on private property:
(1) The owner may serve and allow the possession and consumption of alcoholic beverages
in open containers during the hours of operation and in the areas authorized by the sidewalk
cafe permit or in the outdoor space during the owner's posted hours of operation.
(2) Glass containers, aluminum cans, and other types of drinkware shall be allowed in
sidewalk cafes and outdoor spaces but shall not be removed from those areas.
(3) No fencing or other enclosure of a permitted sidewalk cafe or outdoor space located
within a designated outdoor refreshment area shall be required.
(4) Outdoor spaces include, but are not limited to, parking areas, fields, lawns, patios, and
gardens as long as they are located on private property and the owner is authorized to utilize
those spaces."
Section 3: That the City Council of the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas hereby determines that this ordinance
should become effective without delay because it will provide opportunities for Fayetteville dining
establishments, residents, and visitors to comply with the directives issued by the Arkansas Department of
Health regarding limited occupancy and social distancing, which are necessary for the public peace as well as
the health and safety of Fayetteville residents. Therefore, the City Council hereby declares an emergency exists
such that this ordinance shall become effective immediately upon its passage and approval.
City of Fayetteville, Arkansas Page 2 Printed on 711412020
Mary McGetrick
Submitted By
City of Fayetteville Staff Review Form
2020-0589
Legistar File ID
7/14/2020
City Council Meeting Date - Agenda Item Only
N/A for Non -Agenda Item
7/13/2020 DEVELOPMENT SERVICES (620)
Submitted Date Division / Department
Action Recommendation:
Approval of an emergency ordinance which streamlines the sidewalk cafe process and parklet development process)
for use by restaurants, bars, performance venues, and other businesses.
Budget Impact:
Account Number
Project Number
Budgeted Item? No Current Budget
Funds Obligated
Current Balance
Does item have a cost? No Item Cost
Budget Adjustment Attached? No Budget Adjustment
Remaining Budget
Purchase Order Number:
Change Order Number:
Original Contract Number:
Comments:
Fund
Project Title
V20180321
Previous Ordinance or Resolution #
Approval Date:
CITY OF
L FAYETTEVILLE
ARKANSAS
MEETING OF JULY 14, 2020
TO: Mayor and City Council
THRU: Susan Norton, Chief of Staff
Garner Stoll, Development Services Director
FROM: Mary McGetrick, Long Range Planner
Devin Howland, Director of Economic Vitality
DATE: July 9, 2020
CITY COUNCIL MEMO
SUBJECT: Emergency use of ROW and Metered Parking Spaces by Restaurants, Bars,
and Other Businesses who hold alcohol permits
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff is recommending approval of an emergency ordinance which streamlines the sidewalk
cafe process and parklet development process for use by restaurants, bars, performance
venues, and other businesses.
BACKGROUND:
While the use of sidewalk space and parking spaces are currently allowed through the sidewalk
cafe permit process and tactical urbanism process, this ordinance expedites the process for
businesses wishing to utilize one or both in hopes of providing safer options for expanded social
distancing during the pandemic.
DISCUSSION:
This ordinance waives the fees and permitting steps associated with obtaining sidewalk cafe
permits (such as the application process, notification requirements, application fees, and posting
of a surety bond), but retains the provisions which ensures their safe use and that ADA access
is maintained. This adjustment would enable various businesses such as a restaurant, to
explore on their own if sidewalk seating is something their business could benefit from during
the pandemic. This amendment would interface well with the Outdoor Refreshment Ordinance
and allow businesses the opportunity to be creative and try new things quickly without remitting
fees or permit review. Sidewalk cafes could be utilized by restaurants, bars, performance
venues and other businesses looking to expand outdoor seating.
This ordinance also encourages expanded use of parklets within City -owned right-of-way by
developing a set of guidelines, that if followed, enable development and use without an initial
development services review. This approach replaces regulatory provisions by providing
technical assistance to businesses. Parklets could be developed by any business looking to
expand their services to a safe outdoor environment.
Mailing Address:
113 W. Mountain Street www.fayetteville-ar.gov
Fayetteville, AR 72701
Section two amends the sidewalk cafe provisions of the entertainment district ordinance in
anticipation of the Outdoor Refreshment Area's being utilized in other places throughout the
City. Currently, staff has been able to permit the outdoor services areas and sidewalk cafe
permits without any issue due to the abundance of right-of-way and sidewalks in Downtown.
Other areas throughout the City that will likely be utilized for expanded outdoor service will
not be adjacent to public streets or sidewalks. However, their parking lots, lawns, and patios
may not be within their Alcoholic Beverage Control Division permit area. Once other ORAs
have been established, customers would still be able to take alcoholic refreshments outside,
even without the business going through the ABC Outdoor Service Area process. This
alteration would also be applicable to bars as well, whereas the ABC Outdoor Service Area
process is limited to restaurants.
BUDGET/STAFF IMPACT:
N/A
Attachments:
Ordinance
Parklet Design Guidelines
The parklet design and location shall conform to the following design guidelines, as well as any additional
standards made at the discretion of the Development Services Department.
Each parklet shall be limited to utilizing no more than three (3) parking spaces directly adjacent to the
applicable business and located at least one parking stall from a corner and other parklets.
2. CORNER LOCATIONS
The proposed parklet site shall be located at least one parking spot from a corner or protected by a bollard,
sidewalk bulb -out, or other similar feature, if located at the corner.
Parklets are permitted where the posted speed limit is 30 mph or less. Streets with higher speed limits may be
considered on a case -by -case basis.
4. STREET SLOPE
Parklets must be situated on streets with a running slope (grade) of five percent or less or provide a level surface
to meet this grade.
S. BUFFERS I , .: ,
Parklets shall be required to have a buffer to protect users from street traffic. Buffers can be either reflective
tape, planters, durable seating, temporary railing/edging, or other visible, protective edging as approved by staff
in the application process. Parklets shall be required to have soft hit posts and wheel stops. Parklets must be
situated a minimum of 2 feet from the nearest edge of traveled way. Planters used as edging features are
required to be large and durable.
6. UTILITIES
Parklets shall not be allowed in front of a fire hydrant, or over a manhole, public utility valve, or cover. Curb and
roadside drainage shall not be impeded by the parklet. If decking is being constructed, the decking should allow
for easy access underneath and curbside drainage shall not be impeded. A gap of 6" should be maintained
between the body of the deck and the asphalt to facilitate the movement of water.
7. ADA REQUIREMENTS
All elements of Parklets shall be constructed and/or installed to conform to the applicable provisions, rules,
regulations, and guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).Tables
8
Parklets are temporary in nature and must be designed for easy removal. All removable furniture must be locked
or stowed each night.
9. PARKLET DECKING
Parklet decking must be flush with the curb and may not have more than %" gap from the curb. If decking is
installed, a minimum 36" ADA accessible entryway to the parklet must be maintained. Platforms shall not
exceed a 2% cross slope. Deck installation shall not damage the sidewalk, street, curb, or any aspect of the
public right-of-way. Due to the temporary nature of the parklet, any proposed decking shall not be allowed to
be bolted into the asphalt and must must include semi -permanent materials installed in a way that does not
require reconfiguring the roadway or pouring concrete.
10. EDGING
All proposed edging shall be visually permeable. Due to the temporary nature of the parklets, all edging or
railing shall not be bolted to the asphalt. The temporary railing shall be durable enough to stand on its own and
should have a sturdy base.
11. VISUAL DESIGN
Parklet designs must maintain a visual connection to the street and not obstruct sight lines to existing
businesses or roadway signage. While not visible from the sidewalk, the parklet's back is highly visible
from across the street. Large blank walls, therefore, are discouraged.
12 MATERIALS
Materials should be high quality, durable, waterproof, and capable of withstanding heavy use and exposure to
the elements. Loose particles such as sand or loose stone are not permitted within the parklet area. All furniture
must be designed for outdoor use. The following images outline allowed material and furniture types. Sofas as
parklet furniture is prohibited. All materials and seating or table constructions and configurations are subject to
inspection and may require a permit at the discretion of Development Services Department staff.
Allowed materials: metals, sturdy plastic chairs, wood, sturdy recycled materials
BUILDINGS
1. located at least one parking stall from a corner (If located at corner, parklet
must be protected by a bollard, sidewalk bulb -out, or other similar feature).
2. In an area with a posted speed limit of 30mph or slower.
3. Minimum of 2 feet from the nearest edge of traveled way.
4. Street has a grade of no greater than S%.Tables postioned at a grade of no
greater than 2%.
S. Buffer to protect users from street traffic.
DESIGN, cont.
6. If decking is installed, decking must be flush with the curb and may not have more
than'/2" gap from the curb. If this is impossible, the parklet must be ADA accessible.
A minimum 36" ADA accessible entryway to the parklet must be maintained for all
parklets.
7. The platform should allow for easy access underneath the platform and curbside
drainage may not be impeded. A gap of 6" should be maintained between the body
of the deck and the asphalt to facilitate the movement of water.
,,— 8. All edging shall be visually permeable.
9. The temporary railing shall be durable enough to stand on its own and should have
a sturdy base.
Business owners are responsible for the following. Additional requirements and further details may be requested at
the discretion of the Development Services Department.
• Keep parklet well maintained and in good repair with daily cleaning.
• Keep parklet free of debris, grime, and graffiti.
• Water and maintain all parklet vegetation.
• Provide pest control as needed.
• Amplified music is prohibited in the parklet.
ORDINANCE NO.
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND § 178.02 SIDEWALK CAFES TO REMOVE CERTAIN
PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS DURING THE PERIOD OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC,
TO TEMPORARILY AUTHORIZE THE USE OF PAID PUBLIC PARKING SPACES AS
SIDEWALK CAFES BY ADJACENT BUSINESSES UPON PAYMENT OF THE
APPROPRIATE FEES, TO CLARIFY THE AUTHORIZED AREAS OF OPERATION OF
BUSINESSES IN AN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, AND TO DECLARE AN
EMERGENCY
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE,
ARKANSAS:
Section 1: That the City Council of the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas hereby amends § 178.02 —
Sidewalk Cafes of the Fayetteville Unified Development Code by enacting a new subsection (D)
as follows:
"(D) Temporary Measures During Declared COVID-19 Public Health Emergency.
(1) During any period of the COVID-19 public health emergency, as declared by the Mayor,
Governor, or President:
(a) The City shall waive application/permit fees and permitting steps described in
subsection (B) above; and
(b) The City shall waive that portion of subsection (C)(1) requiring a detailed site
plan and written description but all sidewalk cafes shall comply with the
remaining requirements of subsection (C)
(c) The Mayor shall be authorized to reserve paid public parking spaces for the
exclusive use by adjacent businesses as sidewalk cafes upon payment of the
parking fees established in Article III — Parking Meters of Chapter 72 Parking
Regulations. The Mayor shall be authorized to promulgate any rules or
conditions necessary to ensure the safety of customers and staff and the equitable
use of the City's public parking spaces.
(2) The provisions of this subsection shall expire at the end of the declared COVID-19
public health emergency.
Section 2: That the City Council of the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas hereby repeals subsection
(E) of § 1 l 1.07 Outdoor Refreshment Area and enacts a new subsection (E) as follows:
"(E) Sidewalk Cafes and Outdoor Spaces in Outdoor Refreshment Areas. If an owner within the
Outdoor Refreshment Area is authorized to operate a sidewalk cafe pursuant to § 178.02 of the
Unified Development Code or has an outdoor space located on private property:
(1) The owner may serve and allow the possession and consumption of alcoholic
beverages in open containers during the hours of operation and in the areas
authorized by the sidewalk cafe permit or in the outdoor space during the owner's
posted hours of operation;
(2) Glass containers, aluminum cans, and other types of drinkware shall be allowed in
sidewalk cafes and outdoor spaces but shall not be removed from those areas; and
(3) No fencing or other enclosure of a permitted sidewalk cafd or outdoor space
located within a designated outdoor refreshment area shall be required.
(4) Outdoor spaces include, but are not limited to, parking areas, fields, lawns, patios,
and gardens as long as they are located on private property and the owner is
authorized to utilize those spaces.
Section 3: That the City Council of the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas hereby determines that this
ordinance should become effective without delay because it will provide opportunities for
Fayetteville dining establishments, residents, and visitors to comply with the directives issued by
the Arkansas Department of Health regarding limited occupancy and social distancing, which are
necessary for the public peace as well as the health and safety of Fayetteville residents.
Therefore, the City Council hereby declares an emergency exists such that this ordinance shall
become effective immediately upon its passage and approval.
PASSED and APPROVED this 2 1 " day of July, 2020.
)V ATTEST: RK/�
�\ CITY •:�9J,G =
By:
O D JO N. r RA PAXTON, E ity C le—rkFTreasar
�'��y9 ANSNS
NOMMEsTARKAWSAS
Democrat Voazft
PC. 30X TO r'AvST-EVILLE..AP,. 727C.1 • 47'9•2422-VCCC • •A WJi'N N'vi".Do.c"
AFFIDAVIT OF PUBLICATION
I, Brittany Smith, do solemnly swear that I am the Accounting Legal Clerk of the Northwest Arkansas
Democrat -Gazette, a daily newspaper printed and published in said County, State of Arkansas; that I was so
related to this publication at and during the publication of the annexed legal advertisement
the matter of. Notice pending in the Court, in said County, and at the dates of
the several publications of said advertisement stated below,
and that during said periods and at said dates, said newspaper
was printed and had a bona fide circulation in said County;
that said newspaper had been regularly printed and published
in said County, and had a bona fide circulation therein for the
period of one month before the date of the first publication of
said advertisement; and that said advertisement was published
in the regular daily issues of said newspaper as stated below.
City of Fayetteville
Ord 6332
Was inserted in the Regular Edition on:
July 19, 2020
Publication Charges: $266.00
&jA,, S,
Brittany Smith
Subscribed and sworn to before me
This CXt stay o 2020.
Notary Public
My Commission
3l1 bJa5_
`o�Nl IIIIItI#11 rep
�`�PNOPA G. gagj
10p3 AR Y p� i �d'p2
•
RKANSAS 8
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iRca a fye `C4�x�'``a
**NOTE** Please do not pay from Affidavit
Invoice will be sent.
Ordinance: 6332
File Number: 2020-0589
AMEND § 178.02 SIDEWALK
CAFES:
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND §
178.02 SIDEWALK CAFES TO
REMOVE CERTAIN PERMITTING
REQUIREMENTS DURING THE
PERIOD OF THE COVID-19
PANDEMIC, TO TEMPORARILY
AUTHORIZE THE USE OF PAID
PUBLIC PARKING SPACES AS
SIDEWALK CAFES BY
ADJACENT BUSINESSES UPON
PAYMENT OF THE
APPROPRIATE FEES, TO
CLARIFY THE AUTHORIZED
AREAS OF OPERATION OF
BUSINESSES IN AN
ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT,
AND TO DECLARE AN
EMERGENCY
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY
COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
FAYETTEVILLE, ARKANSAS:
Section 1: That the City Council of
the City of Fayetteville, Arkansas
hereby amends § 178.02 - Sidewalk
Cafes of the Fayetteville Unified
Development Code by enacting a new
subsection (D) as follows:
"(D) Temporary Measures During
Declared COVID-19 Public Health
Emergency.
(1) During any period of the
COVID-19 public health emergency,
as declared by the Mayor, Governor,
or President:
(a) The City shall waive
application/permit fees and permitting
steps described in subsection (B)
above.
(b) The City shall waive that
portion of subsection (C)(1) requiring
a detailed site plan and written
description but all sidewalk cafes
shall comply with the remaining
requirements of subsection (C).
(c) The Mayor shall be
authorized to reserve paid public
parking spaces for the exclusive use
by adjacent businesses as sidewalk
cafes upon payment of the parking
fees established in Article III -
Parking Meters of Chapter 72 Parking
Regulations. The Mayor shall be
authorized to promulgate any rules or
conditions necessary to ensure the
safety ofcustomers and staffand the
equitable use of the City's public
parking spaces.
(2) The provisions of this
subsection shall expire at the end of
the declared COVID-19 public health
emergency."
Section 2: That the City Council of the
City of Fayetteville, Arkansas hereby
repeals subsection (E) of i
§ 111.07 Outdoor Refreshment Area
and enacts a new subsection (I-) as
follows:
"(E) Sidewalk Cafes and Outdoor
Spaces in Outdoor Refreshment Areas.
If an owner within the Outdoor
Refreshment Area is authorized to
operate a sidewalk cafe pursuant to
§ 178.02 of the Unified Development
Code or has an outdoor space located
on private property:
(1) The owner may serve and
allow the possession and consumption
ofalcoholic beverages in open
containers during the hours of
operation and in the areas authorized
by the sidewalk cafe permit or in the
outdoor space during the owner's
posted hours of operation.
(2) Glass containers,
aluminum cans, and other types of
drinkwwe shall be allowed in sidewalk
cafes and outdoor spaces but shall not
be removed from those areas.
(3) No fencing or other
enclosure of a permitted sidewalk cafe
or outdoor space located within a
designated outdoor refreshment area
shall be required.
(4) Outdoor spaces include,
but are not limited to, parking areas,
fields, lawns, patios, and gardens as
long as they are located on private
property and the owner is authorized to
utilize those spaces."
Section 3: That the City Council of the
City of Fayetteville, Arkansas hereby
determines that this ordinance should
become effective without delay
because it will provide opportunities
for Fayetteville dining establishments,
residents, and visitors to comply with
the directives issued by the Arkansas
Department of Health regarding
limited occupancy and social
distancing, which are necessary for the
public peace as well as the health and
safety of Fayetteville residents.
Therefore, the City Council hereby
declares an emergency exists such that
this ordinance shall become effective
immediately upon its passage and
approval.
PASSED and APPROVED on
7/142020
Approved:
Lioneld Jordan, Mayor
Attest:
Kara Paxton, City Clerk Treasurer
75295901 JUly 19,2020
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UCLA Complete Streets Initiative
Luskin School of Public Affairs
September 2012
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This report was made possible by the generous support of
The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation.
AUTHORS
Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, Associate Dean, Professor
UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs;
UCLA Department of Urban Planning
Madeline Brozen, Program Manager
Complete Streets Initiative
UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
Colleen Callahan, Deputy Director
Luskin Center for Innovation
UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
India Brookover, Graduate Student
UCLA Department of Urban Planning
Neal LaMontagne, Graduate Student
UCLA Department of Urban Planning
Veena Snehansh, Graduate Student
UCLA Department of Urban Planning
ABOUT THE COMPLETE STREETS INITIATIVE
The Complete Streets Initiative is a joint effort of the Lewis
Center for Regional Policy Studies, the Luskin Center for
Innovation, and the Institute of Transportation Studies in the
UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. The Initiative's mission
is to conduct research, educate students, and engage
the public on the many critical and often competing roles
streets play in creating a more vibrant, productive, and
sustainable California.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris
is the associate dean of the Luskin
School of Public Affairs and a professor
in the Department of Urban Planning
at UCLA. Her research focuses on
the public environment of the city, its
physical representation, aesthetics,
social meaning, and impact on the
urban resident. Her books include Urban
Design Downtown: Poetics and Politics
of Form (1998), Jobs and Economic
Development in Minority Communities
(2006), Sidewalks: Conflict and
Negotiation over Public Space (2009),
and Companion to Urban Design (2011).
Madeline Brozen is the
program manager of the UCLA
Complete Streets Initiative at the Luskin
School of Public Affairs. Her research
interests include spatial analysis,
equity, transportation, and innovative
streetscape design. She holds a M.A in
Urban Planning from UCLA and a B.S in
Urban Studies from the University of New
Orleans.
PP
Colleen Callahan is
deputy director of the UCLA Luskin
Center for Innovation. Her research
interests include the intersection of
transportation policy and public health,
particularly in the area of air quality
policy. She holds a M.A. in Urban
Planning from UCLA and a B.A. in
Urban and Environmental Policy from
Occidental College.
iABLE OF CX)NTENTS
1. Introduction
Purpose of this Toolkit
Scope
Methodology
Parklet Basics
Need and Rationale
Parklet Precedents
2. Parklets in Los Angeles
Park(ing) Day LA
Streets for People
Bike Corrals
Fitness Zones
Other Key Precedents
Current Efforts and City Support
2
2
4
5
7
8
17
18
20
23
25
27
30
3. PROGRAM CASE STUDIES
Introduction
San Francisco
Montreal
New York City
Vancouver
Philadelphia
Long Beach
Oakland
Policy Recommendations
Conclusion
W
35
36
44
48
54
59
64
67
72
73
4. DESIGN GUIDANCE 77 5. VISIONS FOR FUTURE PARKLETS 140
Introduction
How do I select a site?
How do I design a site?
What are land use considerations?
What are design considerations
based on shape and size?
What are considerations based on the duration of the
installation?
How do I construct the parklet base?
How do I design my site for safety?
How do I design my site for comfort?
How can I landscape my site?
What amenities can I include in my site?
How do I design an active recreation parklet?
How are parklets marked as public space?
How much does it cost and where can I find support?
How do I maintain my site?
Conclusion
77
78
80
81
97
109
114
117
120
124
127
129
134
136
138
Site 1: "Residential parklet"
142
Site 2: "Street vending parklet"
143
Site 3: "Skid Row revitalization parklet"
144
Site 4: "School proximate parklet"
145
Site 5: "Culturally significant parklet"
147
Site 6: "LAs diagonal parklet"
148
Site 7: "Garden space parklet" and/or
`Active recreation parklet
149
6. APPENDIX 153
A: Los Angeles Bike Corral Maintenance Agreement 153
B: Interview Questions for City Staff 154
C: Interview Questions for Businesses 156
D: Interview Questions for Parklet Designers 157
E: Interview References 158
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. Summary and Comparison of Parklet Programs....................................74
Table 2. Parklet Typologies...........................................................................80
Table 3. Summary of Design Guidelines for Parklets in Different Cities..................87
Table 4. Parklet Traffic Safety Guidelines in Different Cities.................................114
Table 5. Costs for Various Parklets................................................................ 134
Table 6. Parklet Cost Breakdown...................................................................135
LIST OF ILLUSTRAT IONS
Fig. 1. Rendering of 40th Street, Oakland, CA. Fig. 11. People at Park(ing) Day, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Andrea Gaffney and Justin Viglianti 1 Credit: Pacoima Beautiful
Fig, 2. Parklet use on Divisadero Street, San Francisco, CA
Credit: Jeremy Shaw
Fig, 3. Rendering for Spring Street Parklet, Los Angeles, CA
Credit: Berry and Linne
Fig, 4. Park(ing) Day, Seattle, WA.
Credit: Rob Ketcherside
Fig, 5. Park(ing) Day Bratislava, Slovakia.
Credit: Mark Archimera
Fig, 6. Castro Commons, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Frank Chan, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition
Fig, 7. Herald Square, New York City, CA.
Credit: Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris
Fig, 8. Painted intersection, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Michelle Selvans
Fig, 9. Chair "bombing," Brooklyn, NY.
Credit: Aurash Khawarzad
Fig. 12. Park(ing) Day, Los Angeles, CA.
3 Credit: Pacoima Beautiful
Fig. 13. Sunset Triangle Plaza, Los Angeles, CA.
6 Credit: Neal LaMontagne
Fig. 14. Plan view rendering, Sunset Triangle Plaza,
9 Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Rios Clementi Hale Studios
11 Fig. 15. Sunset Triangle Plaza design,
Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Neal LaMontagne
11
Fig. 16. Bike corral, Portland, OR.
Credit: Chris Brunn
12
Fig. 17. Bike corral, Highland Park, CA.
Credit: LADOT Bikeways
14
Fig. 18. Fitness Zone, South Los Angeles, CA.
14 Credit: Christine Trang
irA
WE
21
22
22
z1
z1
25
Fig, 10. CicLAvia, Los Angeles, CA. Fig. 19. Fitness Zone equipment, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Waltarrrrr 15 Credit: Office of Council member Jose Huizar 26
Figs.20and21. Before and after: Pico Blvd. and Hoover St.,
Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative 28
Figs.22and23. Before and after: Pico Blvd. and Normandie Ave.,
Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative 29
Fig. 24. Rendering of Spring Street parklet, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Berry and Linne
Fig. 25. Plan view of Spring Street parklet, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Tony Lopez
Fig. 26. Rendering of El Serrano parklet, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Kelli Rudnick
Fig. 27. Rendering of York Boulevard parklet, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Kelli Rudnick
Fig, 28. Pop up cafe, New York City, NY.
Credit: NYC Department of Transportation
Fig, 29. Castro Commons, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Jamison Wieser
Fig. 30. "Parkmobile" Yerba Buena district, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Madeline Brozen
Fig, 31. Cafe Abir, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Daveed Kapoor / utopiad.org
Fig. 32. Devil's Teeth parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: San Francisco Pavement to Parks
31
31
32
32
34
IN
39
41
41
Fig. 33. Powell Street Promenade, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: SFMTA Livable Streets Division 42
Fig. 34. Planters, Powell Street Promenade, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: SFMTA Livable Streets Division 42
Fig. 35. Terrasse, Montreal, Quebec.
Credit: Neal LaMontagne
Fig. 36. Terrasse, Montreal, Quebec.
Credit: Laurence Parent
Fig. 37. Terrasse, Montreal, Quebec.
Credit: Alain Quevillon
Fig. 38. FI KA, New York City, NY.
Credit: Sam Smith
Fig. 39. Traditional sidewalk cafe seating, New York City, NY.
Credit: Ted Jensen
Fig. 40. Pop-up cafe locations, New York City, NY.
Credit: NYC Department of Transportation
Fig, 41. Flexible bollard and wheel stop, New York City, NY.
Credit: NYC Department of Transportation
Fig, 42. Car free day, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Credit: Christian Paul
Fig. 43. Parallel Park, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Credit: VIVA Vancouver
Fig. 44. Parklet, Philadelphia, PA.
Credit: Philly Bike Coalition
43
45
111
EN
51
52
54
56
59
Fig. 45. Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia, PA.
Credit: Philly Bike Coalition
Fig, 46. Wheel stop and flexible bollard, Philadelphia, PA.
Credit: Philly Bike Coalition
Fig. 47. Berlin parklet, Long Beach, CA.
Credit: Daniel Faessler
Fig. 48. Berlin parklet, Long Beach, CA.
Credit: Daniel Faessler
Fig, 49. Rendering of 40th Street in Oakland, CA.
Credit: Andrea Gaffney and Justin Viglianti
Fig, 50. Parking kiosk, Oakland, CA.
Credit: Mike Linksvayer
Fig, 51. Parklet, Philadelphia, PA.
Credit: Dan Reed
Fig, 52. Colorful chairs at parklet, Philadelphia, PA.
Credit: Philly Bicycle Coalition
Fig. 53. Sloped seating at Deeplet parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Daveed Kapoor / utopia.org
Fig. 54. Succulent dinosaur, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Kimberly Conley
Fig. 55. Seating lined with landscaping, San Francisco, CA
Credit: Matarozzi Pelsigner Builders
Fig. 56. Plan view of Noriega parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Matarozzi Pelsigner Builders
Fig. 57. Plan view of traffic triangle conversion, Los Angeles, CA.
60 Credit: Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris 89
Fig. 58. Converted traffic triangle, Los Angeles, CA.
61 Credit: Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative 90
Fig. 59. "Billboard" with green polka dots, Los Angeles, CA.
64 Credit: Ross Reyes 91
Fig. 60. Planters at Sunset Triangle Plaza, Los Angeles, CA.
65 Credit: Alissa Walker 92
Fig. 61. LADOT installation crews at Sunset Triangle Plaza,
67 Los Angeles CA.
Credit: Margot Ocanas 92
70 Fig. 62. Children at Sunset Triangle Plaza, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Alissa Walker 93
82 Fig. 63. Picnurbia, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Credit: Neal LaMontagne 94
82 Fig. 64. Picnurbia, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Credit: Neal LaMontagne 95
84 Fig. 65. Conceptual design for
Picnurbia, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Credit: Loose Affiliates 96
84
Fig. 66. Park(ing) Day installation in Downtown Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Mike Manal 97
86
Fig. 67. Whimsical drawing from parklet petition, Oakland, CA.
Credit: Actual Cafe 98
Fig. 68. Signage at Pacoima Park(ing) Day, Los Angeles, CA. Fig. 79. Bison pedestal system during installation in San
Credit: Pacoima Beautiful 100 Francisco, CA.
Credit: SF Bicycle Coalition / sfbike.org 109
Fig, 69. Parklet installation, Philadelphia, PA.
Credit: Philly Bicycle Coalition 101 Fig. 80. Cross-section of Bison pedestals of differing heights.
Credit: Daveed Kapoor / utopia.org 110
Fig, 70. Conceptual drawing,
Francisco, CA.
Credit: Erik Otto
"Peace Keeper" parklet, San
Fig, 71. Steel substructure diagram, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: fabric8
Fig. 72. Installed steel sub -structure, "Peace Keeper" parklet.
Credit: Martha Traer
Fig. 73. "Peace Keeper" parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: fabric8
Fig. 74. "Walklet," San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Jeremy Shaw
Fig, 75. Plan view for "Walklet" options, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Rebar
Fig. 76.Options for "Walklet" pieces.
Credit: Rebar
Fig, 77. Trouble Cafe parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: San Francisco Planning Department
Fig, 78. Trouble Cafe parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: SF Bicycle Coalition / sfbike.org
Fig. 81. Pre -cast concrete pavers during installation,
103 San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Streetsblog SF 111
103 Fig. 82. Steel sub -structure, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Martha Traer 112
103 Fig. 83. Divisadero Parklet platform, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: SF Bicycle Coalition / sfbike.org 112
104 Fig. 84. Wooden sub -structure for platform, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Excelsior Action Group / www.eagsf.org 113
105 Fig. 85. Pre -fabricated modules, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Kate McCarthy 113
105 Fig. 86. Four Barrel parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Bruce Damonte Photography 115
106 Fig. 87. Bombay / FIKA edge, New York City, NY.
Credit: NYC Department of Transportation 116
107 Fig. 88. Haight Street parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: SF Bicycle Coalition / sfbike.org 116
108 Fig. 89. Cafe Seventy8, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: San Francisco MTA Livable Streets 117
Fig. 90. Squat and Gobble parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Fig. 100. Bicycle parking mounted to parklet platform, Mojo Cafe,
Credit: Brian Kusler
118
San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Thomas Rogers
126
Fig, 91. Plastic lawn chairs, Times Square, New York City, NY.
Credit: Jennifer Wu
119
Fig. 101. Vertical bicycle racks, Four Barrel Cafe,
San Francisco, CA.
Fig. 92. "Walklet," Mission District, San Francisco, CA
Credit: Bruce Damonte Photography
126
Credit: Rebar
119
Fig. 102. Active recreation parklet rendering,
Fig. 93. Dinosaur landscaping at Deeplet parklet, San
Downtown Los Angeles, CA.
Francisco, CA.
Credit: Berry and Linne
128
Credit: Kimberly Conley
120
Fig. 103. Required signage, San Francisco, CA.
Fig. 94. Landscaping with a roll of Astroturf, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Noah Christman, SPUR
129
Credit: Daveed Kapoor / utopia.org
121
Fig. 104. Pop-up cafe sign, New York City, NY.
Fig. 95. Drought -resistant plants, Freewheel Bike Shop,
Credit: Sam Smith
129
San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Daveed Kapoor / utopia.org
122
Fig. 105. Personalized signage, Deeplet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Madeline Brozen
130
Fig. 96. Planters doubling as bollards, Just for Fun parklet,
San Francisco, CA.
Fig. 106. Personalized signage, Deeplet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Trees on San Pedro Street Project
122
Credit: Madeline Brozen
130
Fig. 97. Landscaped focused parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Fig. 107. Parklet, Long Beach, CA.
Credit: Ogrydziak Prillinger Architects
123
Credit: Studio 111
131
Fig. 98. Umbrellas, Sunset Triangle Plaza, Los Angeles, CA.
Fig. 108. Four Barrel Cafe parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Elizabeth Daniels Photography
124
Credit: SF Bicycle Coalition / sfbike.org
132
Fig. 99. Bike corral, Sunset Triangle Plaza, Los Angeles, CA.
Fig. 109. Public signage at Parallel Park, Vancouver, BC.
Credit: LADOT Bikeways
125
Credit: Phil Kehres
133
Fig. 110. Parallel Park, Vancouver, B.C.
Credit: Phil Kehres
133
Figure 111. Concept for "residential parklet,"
Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: India Brookover/ Google Maps
Figure 112. Concept for "street vending parklet,"
Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Madeline Brozen/Google Maps
Fig. 113. Concept for "Skid Row revitalization parklet"
Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: India Brookover/Google Maps
Fig. 114. Concept for "school proximate parklet,"
Los Angeles,CA.
Credit: India Brookover/Google Maps
Fig. 115. Concept for "culturally significant parklet"
Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: India Brookover/Google Maps
Fig. 116. Concept for "LA's diagonal parklet,"
Los Angeles, CA.
142 Credit: India Brookover/Google Maps
Fig, 117. Rendering of "LA's diagonal parklet,"
143 Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: India Brookover
Fig. 118. Concept for parklets at Cesar Chavez
144 Ave. and Grand Ave, Los Angeles CA.
Credit: India Brookover/Google Maps
Fig. 119. Rendering of "active recreation parklet,"
145 Los Angeles CA.
Credit: Veena Samartha
146 Fig, 120. Rendering of "garden space parklet,"
Los Angeles CA.
Credit: India Brookover
147
EK
150
151
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Relocated
City back
Bike Parking
,.,
Locking _ a 1Jt y.,n;' .
Bar
nN
Steel Edging
Phormiurn or Say Laurel
Pavers
Wheel Holdet
i
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TO .,
Low Planters
Steel Planter Boxes
Low Planters
Wood Lattice
Planters
Figure 1. Rendering from 40th Street, Oakland, CA.
Credit: Andrea Gaffney and Justin Viglianti
2 F?E(:! AIKAIIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF INAY
Purpose of this Toolkit
The purpose of the Parklet Toolkit (toolkit) is to provide
city staff and community members with practical guidance
to support the development of small-scale parks, called
parklets. Parklet programs and projects are spreading
quickly across the nation, from San Francisco to New York
and other cities profiled in the toolkit. This decision support
toolkit is designed specifically to facilitate the development
of parklet projects in the city of Los Angeles and encourage
a parklet program that creates an institutionalized pathway
for their installation. Despite the focus on Los Angeles, the
program case studies, project guidelines, and other best
practices presented in this toolkit are easily transferable to
other communities across the nation.
Scope
This toolkit begins with an introduction to parklets,
including the definition of parklets and a summary of their
use, value, and precedents. Next, Chapter 2 provides
context for parklets in Los Angeles. This chapter highlights
activities that led to current efforts to re -purpose streets,
re -energize public spaces, and insert physical activity
opportunities into the urban environment.
Chapter 3 consists of case studies of parklet programs
in cities across North America. The case studies are
ordered starting with the most advanced program to the
most nascent. These case studies represent a snapshot
in time, containing information gleaned from interviews
with program leaders and a literature review conducted
during the spring of 2012. As the parklet movement is
rapidly evolving and expanding, the authors of this toolkit
acknowledge that the program section contains an
incomplete list of parklet programs. The programs included
in the toolkit, however, were selected by UCLA researchers
to collectively show a range of best practices that could
serve as models for Los Angeles and other cities seeking
to begin similar initiatives. The case studies highlight key
information about reoccurring themes of program goals, site
selection, design development, permitting, maintenance,
and lessons learned.
Chapter 4 provides practical advice and supporting
details at a micro level to help readers select a project site
and then design parklet projects based on the specific
context, including surrounding land use, desired project
duration, and project function and objectives. Examples of
specific projects are included throughout this chapter to
illustrate and highlight examples within a parklet typology
matrix. This chapter also gives readers decision support tools
for designing a project that incorporates considerations of
cost, safety and comfort, landscaping and environmental
amenities, as well as management and maintenance.
The toolkit concludes with a summary of where parklet
programs and projects originated, their current status,
and future opportunities. As such, Chapter 5 includes
several photo simulations to illustrate the range of potential
possibilities for parklets in Los Angeles.
II
NEC! AIMINca THE RIGM T of WAY 3
Figure 2. Parklet use on Divisadero Street, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Jeremy Shaw
4 RE(:! AIK4IIV(a i liE RI(ili i OF INAY
Methodology
UCLA researchers compiled the information used in the
toolkit through a combination of online literature reviews
and one-on-one interviews with parklet program and
project leaders. Specifically, the program case studies of
Chapter 3 involved structured interviews using a standard
format of 17 process -oriented questions. These interviews
were conducted with the parklet program directors of each
of the profiled cities. Interview questions addressed program
goals and objectives, program history, organizational
process, scope (number of projects and project typology),
permitting and maintenance requirements, and funding, as
well as program evaluation, impacts, challenges, successes,
and lessons learned. The survey instruments can be found in
the Appendix.
For Chapter 4, UCLA researchers conducted two
types of interviews: 1) with parklet designers; and 2) with
business owners or managers who have adopted each of
the parklets. The interviewees provided insights into specific
elements of parklet projects and answered questions such
as:
• What design considerations should I make if I
have a site of a certain size?
• What should be taken into account if the
parklet is surrounded by particular land uses?
• What factors should I consider when designing
parklet seating?
The researchers extracted lessons and practical advice
drawing from the interviews with designers, business owners,
and city staff. The goal of the toolkit is to provide practical
advice and demonstrate the wide range of design options
available for parklet installations.
Parklet Basics
The term "parklet" was first used in San Francisco to
represent the conversion of an automobile parking space
into a mini -park for passive recreation. This toolkit expands
this basic definition to include other spaces formerly
occupied by cars as well as spaces that can also facilitate
active recreation.
Parklets emerge from the low-cost conversion
of small and under utilized residual spaces
originally devoted to cars into spaces for the
passive or active recreation of people.
Parklets are typically created by building a platform on
the pavement to extend the sidewalk space, and retrofitting
it with benches, planters, tables and chairs, umbrellas, and
bike racks. In the case of active recreation parklets, exercise
machines can be bolted to the platform.
RE(:. AIK4114ca SAE NicaiA T OF INAY
Parklets vary based on the following characteristics:
• Location: Parklets can occupy former parking
spaces, street medians, traffic triangles, re -
purposed travel lanes and parking lots or
excess asphalt space at angled or irregular
intersections.
• Surrounding land uses: Commercial or
residential,
• Size: From a couple of parking of spaces to
spaces extending along the length a block,
to larger spaces occupying entire parts of a
block,
• Shape: Linear, square, rectangular, triangular,
or irregular,
• Duration: From a few hours (e.g. Ciclovias and
Sunday Streets), to one day (Park(ing) Day), to
part of the year (during spring and summer), to
year -around installations,
• Type of activity: Passive or active recreation.
This parklet project typology will be further explored in
Chapter 4.
6 REC AIMIW(a i WE RIGAI-I i OF WAY
In addition to presenting a range of locations and typologies for parklets, this toolkit also introduces the concept of
active recreation parklets. Typically, parklets have served passive recreation purposes, such as sitting and enjoying a cup of
coffee purchased at a nearby cafe. But as will be discussed in Chapter 2, in Los Angeles, plans are moving forward for the
development of a parklet that will include exercise equipment. This type of parklet would allow pedestrians to actively use the
public right-of-way.
lllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
LA CaM LA
Figure 3. Rendering for Spring Street Parklet, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Berry and Linne
r
r90
Us.
ti I
Need and Rationale
The Los Angeles park system lags behind other large
cities of the West Coast in terms of percentage of space
dedicated to parks.' The exact amount of accessible open
space in Los Angeles varies widely by neighborhood and
largely relates to neighborhood economic prosperity.2
While wealthier and disproportionately non -Hispanic white
areas have over 100 acres per 1,000 residents, many low-
income neighborhoods in the densely populated areas
of Los Angeles have less than one acre of park space per
1,000 residents.' These "park -poor" neighborhoods also have
limited access to fresh and healthy foods. Not surprisingly,
obesity prevalence is higher in these areas; approximately
one in three adults in South Los Angeles is obese.4 These
patterns collectively demonstrate the dire need for
increased open space for physical activity in inner city Los
Angeles neighborhoods.
In comparison, significantly more space in Los Angeles
is dedicated to the movement of vehicles (i.e. roadways
and the public rights -of -way) than is found in all of the city's
parks.' Los Angeles is not alone in this regard. Road space
comprises a significant amount of acreage in US cities,
and at least since the last century, this space has been
the domain of the private automobile. Indeed, US cities
RE(:. AIK4114ca SAE NicaiA T OF INAY 7
are characterized by wider traffic lanes and more surface
parking lots than cities in other countries.
Recently, some US cities have started to rethink the
use of street space and convert formerly automobile -
occupied spaces into multi -use spaces for pedestrians in
the form of parklets. While converting large swaths of land
in central and inner city neighborhoods is often unfeasible
or very expensive, an advantage of parklets is their low
installation and maintenance costs for cities. This is due in
part to their relatively small size, less permanent nature,
and partnerships with adjacent businesses. A leading
organization in the parklet movement, San Francisco Great
Streets Project, describes parklets in the following way:
"Parklets are built out of semi -permanent materials
and are installed in a way that does not require
reconfiguring the roadway or pouring concrete.
They are usually hosted or sponsored by a local
business or organization that pays to design and
build them and agrees to keep them maintained."'
B F?E(:! AIKAIIV(a i IiE F?I(ali i OF INAY
Parklet Precedents
Parklets, as defined and explored in this toolkit, are a
recent phenomenon in American cities, but one with roots
in earlier trends in public space design and urban place
making in North America. The conversion of under utilized,
residual, or automobile -oriented spaces into places to relax,
recreate, or engage in the public life of the city is part of at
least three broader trends in reshaping urban public space.
The parklet movement is also specifically an offshoot of the
successful and nimble parklet program in San Francisco,
which has its own roots in a similar program in New York City.
A brief overview of the history of the parklet movement is
provided below to highlight the context and explain how
parklets fit within the North American public space tradition,
and how they can provide new opportunities for public
spaces in urban environments.
The idea of the "parklet" in its current expression
emerged in San Francisco in the form of temporary
installations intended to extend the social life and
pedestrian space of the sidewalk into parking spaces.
Rebar, a San Francisco art and design studio, created the
first such parklet in 2005 by converting a single metered
parking space into a temporary (two-hour) public park in
downtown San Francisco. This parklet was complete with a
lawn, shade tree, and park bench.
This initial action quickly transformed into a global
trend and sparked the development of an international
Park(ing) Day movement. Every year myriad organizations
and individual participants in cities across North America
and Europe transform parking spaces into a diverse array of
urban parks for a day or less.
The success of Park(ing) Day encouraged Rebar to
experiment with more extensive forms of temporary space
activation. Eventually the City of San Francisco incorporated
parklets (including a Rebar designed parklet kit) as part
of its "Pavement to Parks" program. This program seeks to
reclaim under utilized street space and convert it into new,
quick, and affordable public plazas and parks that can exist
for days or years (rather than a day or less). The program
started in 2009 with an initial pilot plaza, Castro Commons,
created at the triangular intersection of 17th, Market, and
Castro streets in San Francisco.
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10 RE(;! AIA4IIV(a i IiE RI(ali i OF INKY
This program was, in turn, inspired by New York City's
2008 "Pavement to Plaza" Program, which transformed
excess roadway spaces into public plazas through the
simple use of barriers, seating, and surface painting,
and "Green Light Manhattan" in 2009, which converted
automobile -oriented spaces on Broadway, Times
Square, and Herald Square into pedestrian plazas. This
"pedestrianization" of Broadway in Times Square involved
adding moveable seating and sidewalk paint to create
open space in the heart of the city.
While the San Francisco and New York programs signify
the genesis of parklets in the US, the rise of parklets is also
connected to three broader trends, including:
Use of Residual Space
There is a long tradition in public space design and
implementation to leverage residual spaces into active public
spaces or new community park space. These include roadway
medians, spaces under bridges, traffic islands, roadway edges,
freeway caps, and parking lots. These spaces are often valued
for their availability, since their "leftover" status does not
require expensive acquisition or intense competition for their
use. A recent effort to reclaim residual spaces is seen in the
celebrated reuse of the High Line in New York City.
Approaches for the reclamation of residual spaces
vary widely, but typically require creative site -specific design
solutions and engagement with the local community.
Typical solutions tend to be long-term in intent, while
the design and scale of the projects are based on
considerations unique to the project.
Tactical Urbanism
There is a growing interest across North America in
creating or transforming public space with a quicker,
lighter, cheaper ethos. Not only does this use of temporary
tactics allow for more affordable public space creation in
an era of limited public resources, but it also encourages
experimentation, iteration, and adaptation. Many tactical
urbanism projects use the notion of "pilot" program or
"interim" use to avoid lengthy bureaucratic approval
processes, thereby enabling cities or groups to try public
space interventions, like parklets, to see what works, and
build an evidence -base or supportive constituency for the
intervention.
Other terms associated with this trend include D-I-Y
(do-it-yourself) urbanism, guerrilla urbanism, or pop-up
urbanism. These terms reflect the small-scale, affordable,
flexible, and often temporary nature of tactical urbanist
REC! AIMING( THE RICAM i OF WAY 11
Figure 5. Park(ing) Day Bratislava, Slovakia.
Credit: Mark Archimera
7
Figure 6. Castro Commons, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Frank Chan, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition
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interventions but also their accessibility and appropriateness
for community or advocacy group -led projects. Tactics
typical of this approach to public space intervention are
usually temporary in intent and design. Examples include
"city repair" (community groups reclaiming neighborhood
streets as public gathering places with paint, plantings,
artwork, or other community -oriented amenities), "pop-
up cafes or retail spaces" (short-term commercial uses
that create opportunities for small-scale entrepreneurs to
experiment), and "mobile playgrounds" (light and easily
assembled and disassembled play facilities that can be
easily transported to new locations).
Such interventions can range in size. On the larger end
of the spectrum was a three -block "Popuphood" launched
in Oakland, CA in 2011 that provided six months free rent
to six new retail stores in five previously vacant store fronts.
Other interventions include "chair -bombing" (filling a public
space with chairs to encourage sitting and socializing),
"pop-up town halls" (providing temporary spaces for public
discussions and forums), and "site pre -vitalization" (enabling
temporary uses such as community gardens, temporary
markets, and art events on vacant parcels or prior to
permanent development).
RE(:. AIM114(a i IAE RI(al-I i OF INAY 13
Car Free Streets
Parklets also fit well in the trend to transform street
space to pedestrian or other non -automobile -centric uses.
There is a broad spectrum of public space interventions
within this category. These include temporary or permanent
street closures and conversion to spaces for walking and
cycling, car -free days, and open streets initiatives, where
streets are closed to car traffic during specific hours and
days (often during weekends) to enable biking and walking.
Although car -free spaces tend to be larger scale than
parklets, there is a common lineage in the concern for
expanding pedestrian space in urban areas.
Car -free streets range from permanent
pedestrianization--including Santa Monica's Third Street
Promenade --to temporary closure that enables pedestrian
or event use, such as car -free days during CicLAvia in Los
Angeles and Sunday Streets in San Francisco, among others.
The car -free streets movement also includes new street
design approaches that restrict or limit automobile access
and increase the use of lane ways or alleys for festivals or
more permanent pedestrianization.
14 RE(.! AIR4114(a i WE HI(ali i OF INAY
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Figure 8. Painted intersection, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Michelle Selvans
Figure 9. Chair "bombing," Brooklyn, NY.
Credit: Aurash Khawarzad
RE(:. Nin4ii4ca IAE NicaiA T of wAv 15
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16 RE(:! AIKAIIV(a i WE RI(a1A i OF INAY
Footnotes
1. Harnik, P. (2000). "Comparison of Parks and Open Spaces among
Major West Coast Cities," Inside City Parks. Washington, DC.: Urban Land
Institute.
2. Loukaitou-Sideris, A. and Stieglitz, O, (2002). "Children in Los
Angeles Parks: A Study of Equity, Quality and Children's Satisfaction with
Neighborhood Parks," Town Planning Review 74(4): 467-488.
3. The City Project. (2011). "Healthy Parks, Schools and
Communities: Green Access and Equity for Los Angeles County,"
accessed July 18, 2012, http://www.cityprojectca.org/ourwork/
mappinggreenaccess/index.html.
4. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. (2009). "Key
Indicators of Health."
5. Pastucha, S. (2011, Feb 24). "Complete Streets for Los Angeles,"
UCLA Complete Streets Conference. Los Angeles: Urban Design Studio,
Los Angeles City Planning Department.
San Francisco Great Streets Project.(2012). Parklets: How to get
them off the ground, scale them up and transform a city.
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18 P.E(;! AIK4IIV(a i IiE F?I(;Ii i OF INAY
Park(ing) Day LA
Starting in 2007 as part of the larger Park(ing) Day
movement described in Chapter 1, Park(ing) Day LA
marked the appearance of the first temporary parklets in
Los Angeles. Park(ing) Day LA has continued annually ever
since 2007. While not the first effort to increase public space
in Los Angeles, Park(ing) Day LA "celebrates the momentum
of providing additional parks and open space throughout
Los Angeles, especially as it relates to smaller, more infill
opportunities" by converting metered parking spaces
into engaging, public space installations.' Installations on
Park(ing) Day seek to educate the general public about
the problems and opportunities relating to open space
availability in the city of Los Angeles.
The following is an example of how and why one
organization, Pacoima Beautiful, participates in Park(ing)
Day.
Pacoima Beautiful, a member -based environmental
health and justice non-profit organization operating in Los
Angeles' Northeast San Fernando Valley, incorporates
Park(ing) Day into its Complete Streets initiative. The
community of Pacoima contains industrial land uses that
contribute to traffic and air pollution impacts for local
residents, who are predominantly lower -income Latinos.
Pacoima Beautiful leads campaigns to increase open
space and specifically to improve livability along Van Nuys
Boulevard, a major traffic artery in the neighborhood.
Pacoima Beautiful's Park(ing) Day goals include:
• Have a free, fun event in the community.
• Increase awareness about the organization
(especially for people who are outside the
traditional outreach.)
• Give out information about Pacoima Beautiful
campaigns and other public awareness
information.
• Promote the idea of increasing the amount of
green space and environmental amenities in
Pacoima.
Pacoima Beautiful participated in Park(ing) Day in
2010 and 2011, utilizing a parking space in front of the library
along Van Nuys Boulevard. The site was chosen because of
high foot traffic and because it has a median that shields
pedestrians from automobile traffic.
While the first year's installation successfully
attracted community members to the site, in the
second year, Pacoima Beautiful was able to better
meet its goals by designing the installation to look
more like a traditional street fair, which are common in
Pacoima. Design elements included adding a tent and
having more tables and chairs. Organizers found that
the tent and signage were important to designate a
public space. Also to create a street fair environment
and engage people in the space, the organizers
expanded their programming in the second year to
include sidewalk art projects, a plant raffle, Popsicle
give-away, and bicycle safety information. In addition,
Pacoima Beautiful realized the benefit of coupling
Park(ing) Day with other campaign events, specifically
neighborhood clean-up events.
In the fall of 2012, Pacoima Beautiful will open a
new pocket park. The Park(ing) Day event will work as
a promotional event for that campaign.
Overall, a temporary installation like the one by
Pacoima Beautiful costs approximately $50 to $300,
depending on how many items (such as tents, chairs,
and plants) an organization owns prior to the event.
RE(:. AIM114(a i WE RI(ali i OF INAY 19
Figure 12, Park(ing) Day, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Pacoima Beautiful
` 0 RE(.! AIK4IIV(a i IiE RI(ali i OF 1NAY
Streets for People
The Streets for People pilot initiative resulted in arguably
the first large-scale and longer -term parklet in Los Angeles.
This parklet, called the Sunset Triangle Plaza, opened in
March of 2012. Yet its origins occurred years earlier, when
community activists within the group Living Streets LA met to
discuss pilot project interventions that would improve streets
in Los Angeles. Inspiration came from the conversion of New
York City's Times Square into a pedestrian plaza. One of
the members of Living Streets LA, Margot Ocanas, moved
into a position with the Los Angeles County Department of
Public Health's RENEW program (Renewing Environments
for Nutrition, Exercise and Wellness). RENEW, which was
federally funded for three years (from March 2009 to March
2012), provided financial and technical assistance to cities
to increase opportunities for physical activity within the built
environment. RENEW program funding was used to officially
launch the Streets for People (S4P) project.
During the same time, the Los Angeles Planning
Commission, also interested in creating healthier built
environments, saw an opportunity to work with the Los
Angeles County Department of Public Health through the
scope of RENEW and their S4P project. Bill Roschen, President
of the Planning Commission, and Margot Ocanas began
looking for opportunities to initiate a project similar to the
Times Square pedestrian plaza.
Ultimately, S4P became an initiative of the Los
Angeles County Department of Public Health and the Los
Angeles Planning Commission, working closely with the city
Departments of Transportation, Planning, and Public Works
as well as the Office of Council member Eric Garcetti, local
businesses, and community -based organizations, including
the Silver Lake Improvement Association and the Silver Lake
Neighborhood Council. Living Streets LA and its parent
organization, Green LA Coalition, have been integral to S4P,
providing staffing support and acting as fiscal agents.
The S4P's Sunset Triangle Plaza opened in March 2012,
occupying 11,000 square feet of a former traffic triangle and
roadway. This parklet moved from idea to installation in less
than two years and for a total cost of $25,000. It is equipped
with movable chairs and tables, umbrellas, bike racks, and
planters, all sitting on asphalt pavement that has been
transformed through the application of bright green paint.
The project is a one-year pilot. It will be evaluated in 2013,
and either converted to a permanent installation, altered, or
removed.
Los Angeles Director of Planning, Michael LoGrande,
believes that this pilot project can be an effective way to
provide public spaces within neighborhoods:
"I think by moving quickly and showing people we
can take chances, we can try things that are pilot
programs and not necessarily go through a huge
process that people lose interest in because it takes
too long to see results. In government, we have to
be nimble as ever, and show small successes." 8
More details about the design of this project can be
found in Chapter 4 of this toolkit.
RECLAIMIN(a THE RIGAH i OF INKY 21
Figure 13. Sunset Triangle Plaza, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Neal LaMontagne
99 RE(. Ain4iwca T IAF Nicaiq T OF INAY
Figure 14. Plan view rendering, Sunset Triangle Plaza, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Rios Clementi Hale Studios
r - -
Figure 15. Traffic barricades, Sunset Triangle Plaza, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Neal LaMontagne
Bike Corrals
Bike corrals are a type of parklet dedicated to bicycle
parking.
"A corral is an on -street bicycle facility that can
accommodate many more bicycles than a typical
sidewalk rack ... and typically replaces an existing
single vehicle parking space with up to eight
bicycle racks —enough space to accommodate 16
bicycles. In areas with high cycling demand, corrals
use space much more efficiently than a single car
parking stall would."'
At the time of this toolkit's publication, Los Angeles had
installed two bike corrals, with plans to install six more. The
Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) installed
the first bike corral on York Boulevard and Avenue 50 in the
Highland Park neighborhood, and another in the Sunset
Triangle Plaza, described in the previous section.
As part of a common theme, the effort to bring bike
corrals to Los Angeles is rooted in community activism.
Organizations including the Los Angeles County Bicycle
Coalition and C.I.C.L.E. (Cyclists Inciting Change Through
LIVE Exchange), along with Matt Schodorf (Caf6 de Leche
co-owner), Josef Bray -Ali, Joe Linton, and countless other
advocates and dedicated citizens, helped make the idea
of bike corrals in Los Angeles a reality.10
RE(:. AIMlivca SAE NicaiA T OF 1NNY 23
Council member Josh Huizar, hearing the support for
bike corrals successfully voiced by activists using social
media in 2009 and 2010, drafted a motion to create a bike
corral "Pilot Project" at York Boulevard and Avenue 50. In
only 14 days during March of 2010, the initial motion swept
through the Los Angeles Transportation Committee and City
Council to gain approval for installation.'' The bike corral at
York Boulevard and Avenue 50 opened in February 2011.
The bike corral cost approximately $2,700 and was paid for
by the LADOT.
Since then, the LADOT has implemented a Bike Corral
Pilot Program. LADOT has issues a promotional document
about these bike corrals that explains the process for
businesses to apply for and receive corrals. The department
also created a maintenance agreement template that
applying businesses have to sign.12 This template, shown in
Appendix A, could also be used as the beginning for a city -
approved template for future parklet projects. The LADOT
Bike Corral Program is currently working with City Council
offices and local businesses to identify locations for six more
bike corrals.
24 HE(.�LAIMllq(a T liE NicaiA T OF INAY
Figure 16. Bike corral, Portland, OR.
Credit: Chris Brunn
Figure 17. Bike corral, Highland Park, CA.
Credit: LADOT Bikeways
Fitness Zones
RE(*. Arn4ii4ca liE Nicaii T of I?VAY 25
This toolkit discusses not only parklets as places for
passive enjoyment (intended for people to sit, relax and
socialize), but also parklets as public spaces for active
recreation. A leader in the movement for public spaces
for active recreation in the Los Angeles region, the Trust
for Public Land began their "Fitness Zones" program in
2005 with funding from the Kaiser Permanente Foundation.
These fitness zones are outdoor gyms that contain exercise
equipment machines and are located within public parks.
The goal of the Fitness Zones program is to:
"Create a fun, accessible, and social environment
where people can enjoy getting fit. We know that
just getting outdoors makes people healthier and
happier. Fitness Zones take that one step further by
giving people free access to top-quality exercise
equipment suitable for all levels of fitness."13
The process, from planning to installation of a fitness
zone, provides lessons relevant to installing parklets in
Los Angeles. For each project, the Trust for Public Land
works with a community partner to select a park location.
Figure 18. Fitness Zone, South Los Angeles, CA. Selection is based on local need, demonstrated by limited
Credit: Christine Trang park space and a sizable local population representing
` 6 RE(.�LAIMllq(a T liE NicaiA T OF INAY
a variety of park users and potential users. After the park
is selected, the Trust for Public Land works closely with the
Los Angeles County Recreation and Parks Department to
select a particular place within the park. Selection criteria
include site visibility and shade. The Trust for Public Land then
hires a contractor to install the exercise machines at the
selected site, and gifts the machines to the Recreation and
Parks Department that is responsible for their maintenance.
The Recreation and Parks Department also holds liability
insurance for the fitness zones.
Each fitness zone costs approximately $45,000.
Costs include six to eight pieces of exercise equipment,
installation, and staff time for permitting and agency
coordination. As of June 2012, fitness zones were located
in 29 different parks in Los Angeles County. By the end of
August 2012, it is expected that 42 LA County parks will
contain fitness zones.
Researchers evaluated the fitness zones in 12 parks
and found that park use had increased in half of the parks
since the installation of a fitness zone.14 They also found a
correlation between the presence of a fitness zone and
elevated levels of exercise in a park, not only among
users of the fitness zone but also in other parts of the park.
Researchers speculate that seeing people on exercise
equipment encourages others to be more physically active.
Figure 19, Fitness Zone equipment, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Office of Council member Jose Huizar
Other Key Precedents
The Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative (LANI) is
a non-profit organization that has initiated a number
of streetscape projects. LANI facilitates stakeholder
participation and decision -making, and promotes public -
private partnerships that result in community improvement
projects. Several of LANI's transportation and corridor
improvement projects involve converting underutilized
roadway space into public space for pedestrians.
For instance, LANI created a public plaza from a
street median by closing a small portion of a cut -through
street near the intersection of Normandie Avenue and
Pico Boulevard (see figures 22 & 23). LANI also added
landscaping and benches as part of a beautification
project on a street median near the intersection of Hoover
Street and Pico Boulevard (see figures 20 & 2). LANI is
currently in the permitting phase to expand the plaza at
Normandie and Pico, seeking to fill in part of the street and
create a larger, contiguous plaza. LANI has several other
open space projects in the building, construction, and
proposed/planning phases.
RE(.* AIK41i4ca liE NicaiA T of wtiY 2
LANI projects are designed by a community -driven
process in which a Steering Committee meets with
architects and gives them feedback through design
development. Funding for past projects was awarded
through the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation
Authority's Call for Projects, the Community Redevelopment
Agency, and LADOT reprogrammed funds. While similar
to parklets, these plazas involve more expensive and
permanent changes to the streetscape.15
28 RE(. Arn4iigca iiE Nicaiq T OF INAY
Figures 20 and 21. Before and after:
Pico Blvd. and Hoover St., Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative
NE(:,LAIMn4ca iiE Nicaii T of AIVAY ` 9
Figures 22 and 23. Before and after:
Pico Blvd. and Normandie Ave., Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative
30 F?E(:! AIKAIIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF INAY
Current Efforts and City Support
In addition to the aforementioned efforts, the
Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council (DLANC)
formed a Complete Streets Working Group in the summer
of 2011 with the objective to explore innovative design
ideas for improving streets in Downtown Los Angeles. The
group focuses on two initiatives: 1) working with the LADOT
Bike Program on designs for bicycle treatments; and 2)
installing parklets. The working group identified potential sites
along Spring Street for parklet installation and has spoken
with business owners at the Historic Downtown Business
Improvement District about sponsoring them. They also
prepared design concepts for the candidate sites, and
collaborated with Los Angeles City Council members and
the Department of City Planning to move these projects
forward. Additionally, two projects in Council District 14 are
moving forward with preliminary designs and are seeking to
be among the piloted parklet projects.
As a result of these and other efforts from advocates,
Los Angeles City Council members Jan Perry and Jose Huizar
brought a motion to the City Council in September 2011.
The motion now instructs the Departments of City Planning,
Public Works, and Transportation:
"To assist with the implementation of parklet
demonstration projects currently under
consideration and to create a citywide parklet
pilot program similar to San Francisco's Pavement
to Parks Program."16
With support from the UCLA Luskin School of Public
Affairs and a grant to UCLA from The Rosalinde and Arthur
Gilbert Foundation, the DLANC is currently moving forward
for the development of a parklet on Spring Street that would
include exercise equipment. This will be the first active
recreation parklet in Los Angeles, allowing pedestrians to
actively utilize the public right-of-way. This toolkit is designed
to support this effort and others that will follow from it.
Figure 25. Plan view of Spring
Street parklet, Los Angeles, CA
Credit: Tony Lopez
RE(:LAINAIIV(a i WE RI(al-I i OF IAINY 31
Figure 24. Rendering of Spring
Street parklet, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Berry and Linne
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32 REC! AIMINGc THE RIGHT OF WAY
Figure 26. Rendering of El
Serrano parklet, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Kelli Rudnick
Figure27. Rendering of York Boulevard parklet, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Kelli Rudnick
Footnotes
7. Park(ing) Day LA. (2012). Accessed July 18, 2012,
www.parkingdayla.com.
8. LoGrande, M., as quoted in: Berg, N. (March 5, 2012). "Los
Angeles Seeks Pedestrians," The Atlantic Cities, accessed July 19, 2012,
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/neighborhoods/2012/03/los-angeles-
seeks-pedestrians/1410/.
9. Los Angeles Department of Transportation Bike Blog. (March
23, 2012). "Bike Corral Information," accessed July 18, 2012, http://
ladotbikeblog.wordpress.com/2012/03/23/bike-corral-information-
document/.
10. Los Angeles Department of Transportation Bike Blog. (February 9,
2011). "Back from the Dead: Bike Corral on York Blvd," accessed July 18,
2012February 9, http://Iadotbikeblog.wordpress.com/201 1 /02/09/back-
from-the-dead-bike-corral-on-york-boulevard/.
11. Los Angeles City Council. (April 27, 2010). "Motior
09-1710," accessed July 18, 2012, http://clkrep.lacity.org/
onlinedocs/2009/09-1710_ca_04-27-1 O.pdf.
12. Los Angeles Department of Transportation Bike Blog. (March
23, 2012). "Bike Corral Information," accessed July 18, 2012, http://
ladotbikeblog.wordpress.com/2012/03/23/bike-corral-information-
document/.
13. Trust for Public Land. (n.d.). "Fitness Zones," accessed July 18,
2012, http://www.tpl.org/what-we-do/where-we-work/california/los-
angeles-county/fitness-zones.html.
14. Cohen, D., Marsh, T., Williamson, S., Golinelli, D., & McKenzie, T.
(2012). "Impact and Cost-effectiveness of Family Fitness Zones: A Natural
Experiment in Urban Public Parks," Health & Place 18(1): 39-45.
RE(:. AIM114ca IAE Nicaii T of INAY 33
15. Apostolos, A., Senior Program Manager of LANI. (2012). ,Personal
communication, June 7, 2012.
16. Perry, Jan and Huizar, Jose. (201 1 Sept 16) "Los Angeles City
Council Motion 11-1604."
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Introduction
The following chapter provides examples of parklet
programs in leading cities throughout North America.
This chapter does not address every effort in every city.
Rather, UCLA researchers selected seven cities because
their parklet programs can provide specific lessons for Los
Angeles. The following seven municipal parklet programs are
discussed in this chapter:
• San Francisco,
• Montreal,
• New York City,
• Vancouver,
• Philadelphia,
• Long Beach,
• Oakland.
RECLAIMING THE RIGHT OF WAY 35
Collectively, these program case studies underscore
key commonalities as well as the diversity amongst parklet
programs in cities throughout North America. These
case studies are not meant to be an exhaustive list of all
parklets in North America, but rather to highlight some key
distinctions between selected cases. The concluding section
of this chapter includes a table comparing cities by their
number of parklet sites, the city departments involved in
their parklet program, their permit requirements and costs,
required insurance, and duration of the parklets. Also for
comparison purposes, each parklet program case study
includes sections on:
1. Origins and goals of the parklet program;
2. Planning process and design development;
3. Implementation and maintenance (including
the responsibilities of the applicant/parklet
sponsor); and
4. Successes and challenges of each parklet
program.
6 RECLAIMIN a T HE RICHA T of WAY
San Francisco
Origins and Goals
San Francisco coined the term parklets and was the
first city to introduce parklets (specifically in parking spaces)
in the United States. This distinction is due, in part, to a 2008
visit from New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette
Sadik-Khan. During her visit, Commissioner Sadik-Khan
challenged San Francisco to initiate a program that would
create quality public spaces. Responding to the challenge
to reclaim public space for people, the City of San Francisco
opened its first plaza pilot project on Castro Commons in
April 2009 (figure 29).
The San Francisco Planning Department led this
initial effort. In order to avoid lengthy permit processing, it
defined this project as "removable" in character ensuring
an expedited design review process and construction.
t
Figure 29. Castro Commons, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Jamison Wieser
Following the Castro Commons parklet, San Francisco
established the "Pavement to Parks" program to address the
following issue:
"Many of our streets are excessively wide and
contain large zones of wasted space, especially
at intersections. San Francisco's new 'Pavement
to Parks' projects seek to temporarily reclaim these
unused swathes and quickly and inexpensively turn
them into new public plazas and parks.""
After Castro Commons, the city piloted projects at
other locations. The projects resulted in positive community
interest and overwhelming demand for more removable
public spaces in San Francisco.
Following the success of these plaza pilots and inspired
by PARK(ing) Day, the city innovated a new program
to create temporary plazas in parking spaces, which it
dubbed "parklets." After installing the first pilot parklets,
the city streamlined permitting for these spaces, including
the processing of the applications, selection of sites, and
their subsequent installation by private parties such as
businesses and residents. As of July 2012, San Francisco has
35 parklet projects installed and 35 more in the pipeline. The
Pavement to Parks program is now housed in the City Design
Group at the San Francisco Planning Department and is a
RE(.* ain4ii4ca liE NicaiA T of IAJAY 3
collaborative effort between the Planning Department, the
Department of Public Works, the Municipal Transportation
Agency and the Mayor's Office.
According to city planner Andres Power, San
Francisco's main objective for parklets is to reprogram
automobile parking spaces for alternate uses and reallocate
them in strategic ways to provide better public space for
pedestrians. The City of San Francisco wants to pursue
the parklet projects quickly and cost-effectively and also
possibly in a reversible way, in case there are unforeseen
challenges. As the city's recent request for parklet proposals
indicates:
"Parklets are intended to provide space for people
to sit, relax, and enjoy the city around them,
especially where narrow sidewalks would otherwise
preclude such activities. They are intended to be
seen as pieces of street furniture, providing aesthetic
enhancements to the overall streetscape."18
Planning Process and Design Development
The first pilot plazas in the Pavement to Parks program
were permitted as temporary street closures, typically for
about a month or two to test out the viability of the spaces.
Once the plazas were proven successful, the city legislated
the spaces as permanent open space. The first pilot parklets
38 RE(;! AIR4IIV(a i IiE RI(ali i of wav
in parking spaces were permitted under an existing street
closure permit. Given the positive feedback on the first
pilots, along with community -driven demand for more
parklet projects, the City streamlined permitting and initiated
an expedited approval process. Since the program's
establishment, the city has issued three rounds of Requests
for Proposals for parklet projects, and it will issue a fourth
round in fall 2012.
The city evaluates the viability of a parklet location on
a case -by -case basis, using the following criteria:
• Lack of public space in the surrounding
neighborhood,
• Preexisting community support for public space
at the location,
• Surrounding uses that can attract people to
the space,
• Identified community or business steward,
• Not blocking a fire hydrant or bus stop,
• Generally not located on a corner or on the
City's five year paving plan,
0 Slope of the street is less than 5% grade.
The city recommends the following general design
guidelines:
• Parklet should be easily accessible from the
sidewalk,
• Some landscaping is expected,
• Parklet should be visually permeable to enable
people to rest and experience the street off
the sidewalk,
• Parklet should conform to ADA access
guidelines. Parklet must be open to the public
and display two standard signs (per city
template) stating "public parklet,"
• Should feel public and be devoid of cues (e.g.
umbrellas and condiment bottles on tables)
that signify that the space's primary function is
for commercial activity,
• Seating should be included and any
removable furniture must be distinct from those
of restaurants.
The Request for Proposals also strongly encourages
fixed/permanent furniture —including benches and bike
racks to denote that it is a public space —rather than
movable tables and chairs. If a business chooses to include
movable tables and chairs, this furniture must be different
than the furniture that the business currently uses. The site
should `read' overall as a public space, and businesses are
not allowed to provide table -side service to the parklet.
These tactics all combine to indicate that the parklet is
public rather than a private extension of the business.
Other than the above requirements, the guidelines are
not very prescriptive. These guidelines will allow parklets to
have a unique character and display a sense of belonging
to their particular neighborhood, as the city cherishes the
Figure 30. "Parkmobile" Yerba Buena district, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Madeline Brozen
RE(:. AIK4114(a i IWE RI(ali i OF INKY 39
diversity of parklet designs. The fourth round of RFP to be
released in fall 2012, will have stronger design guidelines and
more detailed accessibility guidelines. As a result, parklets in
San Francisco have different characteristics and typologies.
For instance, the installation on Powell Street is a corridor
treatment --sponsored by Audi Motors and designed by
Walter Hood --that runs along two blocks and on both sides
of the street (figures 33 & 34). The city views this corridor
treatment as a hybrid between a parking -space parklet and
a pedestrian plaza.
On the other end of the size and duration spectrum, six
projects in the Yerba Buena Community Benefit District are
"parkmobiles," small installations consisting primarily of just
a bench and a planting that can be moved periodically to
different sites in the district (figure 30). Parkmobile parklets
are distinct from both the plazas and parking space parklets,
as they require a different permit than the now -standard
permit used for parklets.
Implementation and Maintenance
Each applicant —typically a business owner, community
benefit district, non-profit or resident —agrees to certain
responsibilities. The applicant must be willing to pay for the
construction costs of the parklet. The applicant also agrees
40 RE(:! AIK41IV(a i IiE RI(ali i of wtiv
to provide day-to-day maintenance of the parklet, including
the storage of movable tables and chairs, and the cleaning
of trash. The applicant must show the city evidence of at
least $1 million in liability insurance and name the City and
County of San Francisco as additionally insured. The city
grants successful applicants a revocable lease and issues
a temporary occupancy use permit to install a parklet. The
following fee structure is imposed for projects designed and
constructed by outside parties:19
• $791 base fee for all applications; and
• $650 for up to two parking meter removals
(required only if meters currently exist);
• $191.50 to pay for site inspection before and
after installation; and
• $285 additional base fee for each parking stall
used beyond the first two,
• $325 additional fee for each additional meter
removal beyond the first two (required only if
meters currently exist,)
• $221 for yearly permit renewal.
Successes and Challenges
The non-profit organization Great Streets SF conducted
an evaluation of the Divisadero Street parklet, located in
front of Mojo Bicycle Caf6.20 Researchers found that the
number of pedestrians increased by an average of 13
percent after the installation of the parklet, with the greatest
increases on weekday evenings.
According to San Francisco planners, the biggest
success of the Pavement to Parks program is helping the
public to re -imagine creations in the city's rights -of -way. In
the case of parklets, by recasting spaces for cars as spaces
for people, local merchants have a new way to interact
with the community and attract new customers. San
Francisco planning staff also report that many businesses,
especially caf6s and restaurants, have experienced marked
revenue increases since the installation of a nearby parklet,
resulting in increased sales tax revenue for the city and in
some cases increased jobs, as restaurants hire additional
staff to meet increased demand.
However, the goal of these installations is not for
increased business revenues, but for a creation of public
space and a catalyst for community development.
Parklets provide merchants of all varieties another way
to engage with their community which is not solely
based on a marketplace interaction. For example,
after installing a parklet, its steward in the Mission District
initiated a local farmers market in the neighborhood,
the Mission Community Market. Now, the city and the
neighborhood are looking to redesign the street to
better facilitate this market. This example demonstrates
how parklets in San Francisco are acting as a catalyst
for incremental interventions in the public realm.
In terms of challenges, some businesses have not
been great stewards of their spaces. There have been
a few incidents of businesses turning away members
of the public who were not their patrons from using
the parklet. The city must enforce and follow up on
complaints to prevent the misuse of parklets and has
the right to revoke the permit at any time. Yearly permit
renewal is thus a useful tool for the City to ensure that
parklet stewards adhere to the rules of operation.
REC! NIMIIN(a THE RIGHT OF WADY 41
NEW--..
Figure 32. Devil's Teeth parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: San Francisco Pavement to Parks
42 HE(.�LAIMllq(a T liE NicaiA T OF INAY
According to city planner Andres Power,
parklets have been so popular, (more than
100 applications) that the amount of city
resources required to review the proposals
and issue the permits is becoming a concern
for the city. Regardless, this public -private
partnership model that is supported by
community -driven demand, strives to bring
more public spaces to the city.
Figure 33. Powel I Street Promenade,
San Francisco, CA.
Credit: SFMTA Livable Streets Division
Figure 34. Planters, Powell Street Promenade,
San Francisco, CA.
Credit: SFMTA Livable Streets Division
RECLAIMINGA THE RIGW i OF INKY 43
I
AIL
vm
Oil
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�4�4 REC! AIKAING' THE RIG i OF WAY
Montreal
Origins and Goals
City staff members in Montreal are uncertain as to
when parklets first appeared in the city. Montreal has long
allowed on -street patio decks, (called terraces in Montreal)
as requested by local businesses to increase their outdoor
seating without impinging on sidewalk space (figure 36).
A current wave of interest in parklets stems from the
Avenue Verte — Mont Royal initiative. This large parklet
along Mont -Royal, a major commercial street in Montreal,
brings attention to the idea of livable commercial streets,
which combine places for people, nature, and vehicles.
The Mont -Royal Avenue Street Association supports having
terraces while retaining automobile access to the street.
While Montreal has not yet institutionalized a robust parklet
program, the city did update and standardize its permitting
process for parklets (terraces) in 2007. There are now over 90
terraces installed seasonally in Montreal.
Planning Process and Design Development
Similar to other cities, typical parklet sites in Montreal
are on -street parking spaces located adjacent to the
applicant business (cafe, restaurant, or bar). The street
space remains public, and the permit only allows for
temporary occupation. The presence of on -street terraces
must not cause nuisance to pedestrians or danger to
residents and users.
Figure 36. Terrasse, Montreal, Quebec.
Credit: Laurence Parent
The process to develop a terrace begins with a business
submitting an application to the city. Site criteria used by the
city to determine approval include:21
• Maintain a minimum continuous linear sidewalk
width of 1.8 m (5.9 ft.).
• Maintain a 1 m (3.3 ft.) buffer between the
terrace and the travel lane.
• Maintain a 0.5 m (1.65 ft.) buffer between
terrace furniture and street furniture (benches,
trees, bins, parking meters, etc.). Can request
to move some street furniture.
• Must be located directly in front of the
establishment it serves and have a maximum
width equal to the business frontage. If
this width cannot be achieved due to the
presence of a bus stop or minimum distance
from an intersection, the operator may apply,
with agreement from neighboring business,
to extend to a width of 30 percent of the
neighboring business frontage.
• Not allowed in bus stop areas, in lanes
dedicated for buses, or any place deemed
unsafe by Public Works.
• Not allowed within 5 m (16.4 ft.) from
intersections.
RECLAIMING THE RIGHT OF WAY 45
The size of a typical on -street terrace is one parking
space, but as noted above, the precise size depends
on the business frontage and conformance with the
aforementioned site criteria. The number of terraces
varies by year, based on applications received, and they
are installed during the warmer weather months (April to
October), often on popular destination streets. Terraces
have become a popular fixture in Montreal with some
neighborhoods having several along their commercial
streets. These parklets are considered public space.
Figure 37. Terrasse, Montreal, Quebec.
Credit: Alain Quevillon
46 F?E(:! AINAIIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF 1NAY
However, there are certain time restrictions: terraces are
only open to the public from 7 am to 11 pm (Sunday
through Thursday) and from 7 am to midnight (Friday and
Saturday.)
Additionally, the permit guidelines detail the following
design requirements:
• Terraces must have a guardrail along the entire
perimeter (except 1.8 m. entry).
• Planter boxes must be provided along the two
end -sides with a minimum weight of 75 kg. (165
lb.) and a minimum height of 0.5 m. (1.65 ft.).
These boxes act as bollards to protect against
parking maneuvers. Boxes must be planted
with flowering plants (perennials or annuals).
• Hedges (between 1-1.5 m. / 3.3-4.9 ft.) are
required along the entire length along the
street and parking sides. A list of accepted
shrubs to compose the hedge is provided in
the guidelines.
• Alternative planting requires a proposal to be
submitted to Public Works.
• Floor of the terrace to be at the same level
over its entire area, taking into account the
crown of the road. Floor should be constructed
of wooden slats or plywood with a smooth
surface of a natural wood color.
• Railings should be constructed of metal
(painted black) or wood.
• Furniture should not be constructed of or
contain PVC; it should be sturdy, durable, and
designed to be outdoors.
• No sound amplification system is permitted.
• No heating system is permitted.
• No vinyl, canvas, cloth attached to the railings
is allowed.
• No advertising on the terrace is allowed.
• Umbrellas must not carry advertising, must not
extend past the terrace, must not affect visibility
of signage, and must be secured to withstand
wind stresses.
Implementation and Maintenance
The City of Montr6al requires a permit for parklet
installation. Permits are administered and managed by the
Division des Etudes techniques — Direction des travaux
publics (Public Works) for the specific arrondissement
(district). Applications must come from the owner of the
applicant establishment; a joint application from adjacent
businesses is also possible. The cost of the permit application
is $600, while the cost of a 6-month permit is $7,625 for a
street with parking meters and $2,207 for a street without
parking meters. Costs are estimates and depend on the
precise area taken up by the terrace. The cost for the
parklet installation is completely the responsibility of the
applicant business.
The business is also responsible for the maintenance of
the terrace and the cleanliness of the sidewalk (including a
street section triangle 2.5 m x 2.5 m, or 8.2 x 8.2 ft, on each
side of the parklet where the city street sweeper cannot
clean). Cleaning of the terrace and sidewalk is to be done
each evening after the business closes.
The operator must hold liability insurance of $2 million.
The operator is liable for any damages, theft, or loss and is
responsible for terrace use. The city is not liable for any injury
due to accident or incident within the boundaries of the
terrace or caused by it.
RE(:. AIK4114(a i IWE RI(al-I i OF INKY 47
Successes and Challenges
Although on -street terraces are a long-standing
practice in Montr6al, the driving force for these parklets
comes from local businesses rather than through an official
city program. Consequently, there has not been a city -
sponsored evaluation of the terraces to determine impact,
successes, and challenges. Regardless, parklets appear to
be a success in Montr6al as indicated by their popularity
and the city's standardized permitting process for terraces.
While the cost undertaken by the business champion is not
trivial, our interviews indicated that many business owners
see value in parklets.
48 RECLAIK4IIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF INAY
New York City
Figure 38. Pop -Up Cafe, Fika, New York City, NY.
Credit: Sam Smith
Origins and Goals
New York City's Department of Transportation (NYC
DOT) received a letter in January 2010 from a group of
businesses in Lower Manhattan requesting permission to
construct additional outdoor seating in the public realm
near their establishments. Ineligible for a sidewalk cafe
permit (see figure 39 for traditional sidewalk cafe) because
of the narrow sidewalks in front of their establishments, these
businesses requested seating in the parking spaces abutting
the sidewalk. The business applicants sought conceptual
approval from the local NYC Community Board (similar to
neighborhood councils or other citizen elected/appointed
groups) as well as advice from San Francisco planners who
had already installed parklets in their city.
The timing was right. At the time of the businesses'
request, NYC DOT staff members were already aware of
similar interventions in San Francisco and had preliminary
discussions on the feasibility of transforming parking
spaces into mini parks in NYC, a longer -term version of the
installations already taking place in NYC on Park(ing) Day.
Also as a key precedent, NYC had already successfully
converted larger swaths of road space into pedestrian
public space, notably through their previously discussed
Pavement to Plazas program and the Green Light for
Midtown project, which closed sections of Broadway in
Midtown Manhattan for increased pedestrian space,
including large pedestrian plazas at Times Square and
Herald Square.
Consequently, NYC staff partnered with the applicant
businesses in Lower Manhattan to pilot a parklet, referred to
in NYC as a "pop-up cafe." San Francisco staff connected
them with architects and deck contractors who were willing
to donate pro Bono or at cost services for the pilot parklet.
The first pop-up cafe was installed in New York in the summer
of 2010 in front of two restaurants, Bombay's and FIKA, along
Pearl Street in Lower Manhattan.
The city plans to launch an ongoing program to replace
the pilot program soon. The goal for this parklet/pop-up cafe
program is "to provide seasonal outdoor public seating in
the parking lane of the street as an amenity to pedestrians
at places where sidewalk seating is not available, and to
build well -designed public open spaces that invite people
to stay.1122 The city also expects pop-up cafes to beautify
the street, foster walking and social interaction, contribute
positively to street life, and complement other public space
initiatives. Its final objective is economic development, with
the hope that pop-up cafes increase pedestrian traffic and
thus bring more customers to local businesses.
RE(:. AIK41i4ca liE NicaiA T of wtiY 49
Figure 39. Traditional sidewalk cafe seating, New York City, NY.
Credit: Ted Jensen
50 RECLAIMINca THE RIGAH T OF WAY
Planning Process and Design Development
Based on the success of the initial pilot project and
following a letter of support from the Community Board, city
staff issued a city-wide call for new parklet locations, based
on initial and basic development criteria. They received 29
applications, with the city ultimately selecting three sites for
installation in 2011 (in addition to the one installed in 2010).
The city cannot estimate how many more pop-up
cafes will be installed in 2012 and 2013. There will be a rolling
application process with no deadlines. NYC staff will review
applications and proposed sites using technical criteria
that take into account the physical features of the site
and its traffic characteristics. For instance, the city typically
allows parklets only at locations with low -speed and low -
volume vehicular traffic and on one-way streets. Parklets
are currently allowed only in front of commercial/retail
establishments (initially only in front of cafes and restaurants),
and can only be located in parking spaces along the curb.
More detailed technical criteria include:23
• The street characteristics must be deemed
suitable for parklet installations by DOT.
Typically, this means it would be a one-
way street that has no more than one lane
of moving vehicle traffic. Sites close to
intersections or driveways or where turns or
lane changes occur could be rejected due to
safety concerns.
• The lane along the curb cannot be a moving
lane of traffic at any time of day.
• The parking regulations at the curb must be
suitable for parklet installation. Examples of
unsuitable sites include bus stops, fire zones,
authorized vehicle parking, or no stopping
zones.
• The site must not have elements obstructing
the use of the platform or that require regular
access such as fire hydrants, driveways, or
newsstands. Certain types of underground
utilities may not be suitable locations for
curbside seating platforms.
The size of the parklet (how many parking spaces
it occupies) is determined by the business frontage. The
first pop-up cafe built in front of two adjacent restaurants
occupied five parking spaces. The other three parklets
ranged from two to four parking spaces.
Local
Bombay/s and FIKA
Q Ecnpnls
LA
sip
Figure 40. Pop-up cafe locations, New York City, NY.
Credit: NYC Department of Transportation
In terms of other requirements, the city mandates that
parklets have plantings, but is flexible in regards to the type
of plantings and other design elements. The city also requires
signage, to be located at either end of the parklet, stating
that it is an open public space. There are restrictions on the
RE(.! Nin4ii4(a liE Nicaii T of wAY 51
hours for seating, and the adjacent establishment is required
to store seating when they close or at the hours stipulated
by the Community Board.
The estimated cost for each parklet is about $20,000,
with the costs for design, construction, and maintenance to
be covered by the applicant/operator. The city discovered
that it is sometimes difficult for businesses to create and
pay for the design work. Therefore, NYC DOT asked an
architecture intern to develop some schematic designs
that future applicants can use. While city staff does not
want to develop restrictive standardized designs for all pop-
up cafes, the city would like to be able to support future
applicants by providing examples of design lessons learned.
Implementation and Maintenance
Applicants are required to 1) obtain Community Board
approval; 2) prepare a design for approval based on the
design guidelines; and 3) sign a legal agreement for the
maintenance and insurance of the parklet. Insurance should
cover liability of $1 to 3 million ($1 million for one parklet or $2
million in the aggregate with an additional $1 million liability
to cover any vehicle damage). The city retains ownership of
the land, and there is no lease. The adjacent establishment
is not granted any rights to the pop-up cafe property, but
has an obligation for its maintenance.
:�2 REC AIMING i HE RI(aW i OF 1Nl�l'
The Traffic and Planning Division's Public Spaces Unit in
the NYC DOT administers the parklet program. Regulation
and review take place internally at DOT, and there are
no new ordinances issued for the pilot program. After an
applicant submits an application, DOT reviews the technical
feasibility based on the above stated criteria and, if
appropriate, issues a notice of preliminary approval to the
applicant. At this point, the applicant prepares professionally
certified design plans, which are once again reviewed by
the DOT. After DOT approval, the applicant must submit the
annual authorization agreement including the maintenance
agreement issued by DOT. The maintenance agreement is
effectively a permit because it specifically states permission
to use the space by the adjacent establishment, and there
is no cost for this agreement. Before the site is constructed,
DOT installs new signage including any changes in parking
regulation, parking stops, and flexible bollards.
Community Board approval is the official public vetting
process for these projects. DOT advises and expects the
applicants to do outreach in their area prior to requesting
the approval of the Community Board. Applications require
the signature of the property owner who is also expected to
engage other building tenants and neighboring businesses.
k r.Z�
Figure 41. Flexible bollard and wheel stop, New York City, NY.
Credit: NYC Department of Transportation
Successes and Challenges
DOT conducted a simple post -occupancy evaluation
of the initial pilot site. A time-lapse video showed that 96
people used the parklet in one day. These included children
playing, seniors resting, and other people interacting with
neighbors or their dogs. Although the count did not reveal
significant increases in pedestrian volumes, Edward Janoff,
city planner for the NYC DOT, notes that pop-up caf6s utilize
parking spaces efficiently and with flexibility.
"The parklets fit very well with a message the city
is emphasizing: city streets don't need to function
the same way all the time. Just because the street
is designed with concrete and asphalt, it doesn't
need to be used for the same thing. It can be for
driving sometimes, and for walking or sitting other
times; it can be flexible.1124
RECLAIMING THE RIGHT OF WAY 53
Yet some minor challenges exist. The parklets
have experienced some vandalism, although no other
maintenance issues have emerged to date. Thus far, the
pop-up caf6s have experienced a few challenges from
neighborhoods that oppose additional pedestrian traffic.
Smoking is prohibited at parklets but ensuring compliance is
difficult. The city has also faced a problem with an operator
(a restaurant) doing formal table service at the site and had
to call and remind the business that the parklet is public.
All in all, there have not been any serious problems,
written complaints, or bad press. All four parklets were
installed and then easily taken apart during the winter
season. According to Mr. Janoff, all operators are glad that
they installed and maintained the parklets and would do it
again. The city views the parklet program as a success.
54 REC Ain ING' T WE Nicaiq T OF WAY
Vancouver
Origins and Goals
Interest in parklets for Vancouver
grew when city staff from the Engineering
Department's Street Activities Branch
learned about parklets in New York City
from NYC Transportation Commissioner
Janette Sadik-Khan, who visited
Vancouver in 2010. In addition, staff from
San Francisco's parklet program met
with Vancouver staff at the 2010 Walk21
conference to share knowledge on how
to make parklets successful.
Against this backdrop, Vancouver
received a "parklet-like" proposal
during the 2011 Viva Vancouver call for
proposals process. Viva Vancouver is
a city initiative to activate streets and
public spaces, building from Vancouver's
successful Car -Free Day (see figure 42)
and a desire to promote alternative uses
of streets and roadways. The initiator of
this first proposal envisioned a parklet that would "move"
every week from one location to another within the city's
Mount Pleasant neighborhood. After the proposal was
short-listed for further consideration by the Viva selection
committee, city staff asked the designer if he was willing to
have the installation remain in one place for a longer period
of time, and he agreed.
Another parklet followed in 2011, and the parklets
are now a key part of the Viva Vancouver program. The
objectives of this program are to "transform road spaces
into people places" and experiment with new ways to
increase the flexibility of roadway infrastructure in order to
create a more vibrant public realm for pedestrians. The
official goals are to:25
• Create a variety of public spaces for a mix of
engaging activities and sojourning.
• Increase neighborhood livability benefiting
residents, businesses, community groups, and
visitors.
• Encourage sustainable and active
transportation by creating more safe and
interesting spaces for walking and cycling.
RE(:. AIM114(a i IAE RI(al-I i OF INAY 55
Planning Process and Design Development
The City of Vancouver's Call for Proposals resulted
in the first two parklets, both of which are located on city
property and maintained by the city rather than being
leased to adjacent business owners. These two parklets differ
in character and design. Parallel Park is the only curbside
parklet and takes up two parking spaces (approximately
500 sq. ft.) on a side street adjacent to a cafe. Installed
in September 2011, the structure is now considered semi-
permanent. The other parklet, referred to as Picnurbia,
is located on a street temporarily closed to vehicles.
Picnurbia was also installed in the summer of 2011, and is
approximately three parking spaces in length.
Site selection was an iterative process. For instance, the
curb -side cafe parklet at Parallel Park involved the designer
and local business improvement association (BIA) identifying
three possible locations. The final location was determined
collectively by the designer, city staff, and the BIA.
Criteria for site selection included parklet proximity to high
pedestrian volumes and retail as well as both sun exposure
and shade from trees.
56 REC Ain ING' T HE RIGAH T OF WAY
f �-/�00
}
Figure 43. Parallel Park, Vancouver, BC.
Credit: VIVA Vancouver
Specific design features were not specified by the city;
rather, staff reviewed submittals to the Call for Proposals and
approved parklet designs. Considered public space, the two
parklets featured prominent signage to highlight this fact
Implementation and Maintenance
The city hopes to streamline processes and create
tools so that the parklet model can live on outside of the
experimental platform that Viva provides —likely as a cousin
to the city's existing patio program, which permits tables
and chairs on the sidewalk. According to city planner
Krisztina Kassay, more parklets are expected to be installed
in 2012 as a result of the Call for Proposals. However, the city
would like to find sponsors for this "expansion phase." The
city provided construction and installation support as well as
financed the liability insurance for the Picnurbia parklet. In
addition, city staff time and in -kind services provided by the
designer and builder were used for both Picnurbia and the
Parallel Park.
The city does not issue permits for parklets, but may
do so if the parklet model can successfully expand to
more neighborhoods. Staff members anticipate that
future permitting will be done through the Engineering
RE(:. AIM114(a i IAE RI(al-I i OF INAY 57
Department's Street Activities Branch, which is also
responsible for issuing permits for the existing patio program.
When the Picnurbia parklet was installed, city solid -
waste crew members maintained it by picking up garbage
during their routine cleaning. The Parallel Park installation is
continuously maintained by staff from the adjacent cafe.
Cafe staff clean the parklet daily, which includes sweeping
the ground and collecting ceramic cups and saucers left
behind.
Parklet installation also requires designers to have
professional liability insurance. However, thus far the city
has covered all insurance costs when the designers did not
have the resources for the liability insurance. In the future,
the city would like to preclude the need for extra liability
insurance by having parklets at street segments, where the
city already provides coverage for the street and sidewalks.
Successes and Challenges
The City of Vancouver evaluated the Parallel Park using
a mail -in resident survey, time-lapse photography, and face-
to-face meetings with the managers of the two adjacent
cafes. The manager and owner of these cafes are very
supportive of having a parklet nearby and believe that it
58 F?E(:! AIKAIIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF INAY
has increased foot traffic to their business; however, this has
not been formally tracked. The city had a relatively good
response rate (13 percent) to their mail -in resident survey,
with many respondents including contact information. Over
60 percent of the survey respondents viewed the structure
as a community asset, irrespective of whether or not they
had spent time on it. After the parklet's installation, the
city also put signage on the structure asking pedestrians to
contact the city and give their evaluation. Overall, people
enjoy the extra space that the parklets create and some
even use them throughout the rainy fall and winter seasons.
The city considers it a success that Parallel Park has
not been vandalized. The concerns and fears of nearby
residents that the parklet would become a haven for drug
dealing and late night drinking have not materialized
Nevertheless, public engagement could be improved
during the planning phase, a challenge given that parklet
projects are designed to move quickly from concept to
implementation. According to city planner Krisztina Kassay,
staff could "certainly do more to keep those who have
indicated interest in Viva Vancouver engaged and have
them be our champions at -large." The city's community
engagement specialists in the Corporate Communications
Department are in the process of designing a more robust
engagement strategy.
An ongoing challenge has been that, even with
a large sign that says "public seating" attached to the
structure, many assume that the seating belongs to the
adjacent caf6. An additional challenge relates to resources
and funding for parklets as the program expands to more
areas in 2012. The city hopes that business will view parklets
as a benefit and provide at least some in -kind support.
Philadelphia
Figure 44: Park Iet, Philadelphia, PA.
Credit: Philly Bike Coalition
a_
REC! NINIV I THE RIGHT OF WAY 59
Origins and Goals
In 2011, Philadelphia's University City
District (UCD) received grant funding
to develop innovative place -making
programs. This community organization
approached the Mayor's Office of
Transportation and Utilities at the same
time that this office was looking to
develop a pedestrian amenities program.
With support offered by the William
Penn Foundation, UCD was able to build
two parklets at a cost of approximately
$10,000 per parklet. The first two sites in
the University City District were piloted in
2011.
Philadelphia's goal for its parklet
effort is to build pedestrian -friendly spaces
for community members to enjoy. Building
off the success of the UCD pilot project,
Philadelphia is now piloting a citywide
program. As such, the city provided
$5,000 grants to five organizations (not
including the UCD) in the 2012 pilot
8ES
5:
77.�
-M Cr.f' s g�#•� }urp Wag
FR•3 s
Figure 46. Wheel stop and flexible bollard, Philadelphia, PA.
Credit: Philly Bicycle Coalition
RE(:. AIM1i4ca IAE Nicaii T of IVAY 61
phase. These funds are assisting some more pilot projects,
but will not be an ongoing feature of the formal program.
The city is working to transition its parklet pilot program into
a permanent program, which involves formalizing and
streamlining the planning, design, and permitting processes
so as to encourage future applicants to participate.
Planning Process and Design Development
As previously discussed, the University City District
proposed the first two pilot parklet locations, receiving
approval from the Mayor's Office. Both parklets were sited
in two former parking spaces. One parklet was located next
to a park and the other in front of a cafe. The city's primary
criterion in site selection was, and remains, location along
streets with a low speed limit. This is based on examples from
other cities, indicating that successful parklets are typically
located on streets with low speed limits (25 mph or less). The
city also prefers to locate parklets along active commercial
corridors and high -density residential areas.
The city prefers locations outside of the Central
Business District (CBD) to avoid resistance from the CBD
business community on reduction of parking space. Most
parking locations outside of the CBD have parking meters,
but demand for parking is lower there and the amount
62 RE(.�L ►IMllgca liE NicaiA T OF INAY
of revenue loss due to the conversion of parking spots
to parklets is not substantial. Applicants are responsible
for seeking approval from a minimum of 51 percent of
adjacent property owners at an early stage to avoid conflict
and delays. This process is a proven method for gaining
community approval, as it is the same process the city
follows to designate a city -sponsored car -sharing site.
Parklets in Philadelphia exist from May to October
and then are disassembled because of harsh weather
during other months of the year. Therefore, the city has
pursued a design model that ensures ease of assembly and
disassembly. The city also pursues a certain commonality in
the design features and materials to achieve cost savings.
Parklets need to be ADA accessible and include safety
features such as wheel stops and flexible bollards (figure 46).
No table service is permitted at the parklets.
Implementation and Maintenance
The Philadelphia Department of Streets issues a
temporary license to applicants. No additional permits are
required to establish a parklet. The Streets Department is
also required to sign off on the temporary license. A new
ordinance may be introduced in the near future, assuming
that more parklets are installed. The pilot projects did not
require maintenance agreements, insurance, or liability
commitments. A maintenance agreement and proof
of liability insurance will be required as the program is
formalized and standardized.
Community groups and businesses are in charge of the
day-to-day maintenance of parklets. This includes putting
away seats at night to discourage vagrancy. Yet the city is
willing to be flexible if the residents want nighttime access to
the parklet.
Successes and Challenges
There has been no formal evaluation of the two
parklets, but anecdotal evidence suggests that both are
well received by community members and have created
demand for more parklets in other locations. Parklet users
are residents of the neighborhood and customers of
the adjacent coffee shop. The parklet adjacent to the
Green Line Caf6 has successfully helped to attract new
customers, with the caf6 owner estimating that the parklet
has increased business revenue by nearly 20 percent.26 The
second parklet has not been as successful, possibly because
the site is less visible than the installation near the Green Line
Caf6.
RE(:. AIM114(a i IWE RI(ali i OF INAY 63
The funding the city provided in the second pilot round
is supporting parklet construction in other neighborhoods.
There was a great deal of interest expressed once the
notice of funding opportunity appeared. This was especially
helpful for areas of lower rents where people were less likely
to build a parklet, if the financial support was not available.
This includes a proposed parklet in front of Logan Library in a
predominantly African American neighborhood. According
to city staff, some parklet installations are good for place
making, while others for commercial vitality. Nevertheless,
the best parklets are good for both.
The lack of coordination between businesses,
community members, and various departments within
the city presents a challenge to implementation. The
city, however, expects that formalizing the permitting
and installation processes with more clear expectations,
design guidelines, and deadlines will help overcome such
challenges. The city also prefers that the parklet sponsors
allocate more resources for better design options. As the
second round of pilot projects is installed, the design options
will likely expand.
64 F?E(:! AINAIIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF 1NAY
Long Beach
Origins and Goals
Many retail and restaurant businesses on Fourth Street
in Long Beach expressed interest in parklets. Fourth Street is
a sort of main street, with a mix of small-scale retail stores --
such as cafes, restaurants, offices, and movie theaters-- on
the ground floor and residential units on the upper floors.
In the recent past, many of the small businesses on this
street struggled to compete with new shopping malls.
In response, physical improvements and the renovation
of a local theater helped to increase the number of
people patronizing restaurants along the corridor. Space -
Figure 47. Berlin parklet, Long Beach, CA.
Credit: Daniel Faessler
constrained and unable to accommodate its increased
business, Lola's restaurant became interested in creating a
parklet to enhance seating capacity.
During the same time, the City of Long Beach was
interested in invigorating its main street to prevent any
deterioration resulting from the rise in shopping malls.
Inspired by the Pavements to Plazas program of San
Francisco and the pop-up cafes of New York, city staff
anticipated that parklets could support these objectives
and have a "street calming" effect. Thus, the city initiated a
parklet program in 2010.
Since then, two parklets have been installed in front
of two restaurants: Lola's and Berlin. Two more parklets are
in the planning and design stage. The first two parklets are
located in commercial corridors with substantial pedestrian
traffic and are sponsored by the adjacent restaurants.
They primarily function as outdoor sidewalk dining spaces
for these businesses. Unlike parklets in other cities, in Long
Beach the sponsoring business can technically limit use of
the parklet to only its customers. While the restaurants do
not explicitly object to the public using their parklets, the
parklets are predominantly used by restaurant patrons. The
land occupied by the parklets is located on the city's right-
of-way and is temporarily leased to the private businesses to
operate the facility.
Planning Process and Design Development
A single architect and contractor designed and
constructed both parklets. The city does not issue design
specifications and does not stipulate design elements for
parklets, other than a minimum area of one parking stall,
with at least 7 feet parallel and 15 feet perpendicular to the
road.27 Site selection criteria are currently open-ended and
site feasibility is determined on a case -by -case basis. First, an
interested business owner has to make a proposal. The city
NEc:! Arn4iivca IAE NicaiA T of INAv 65
then verifies the site characteristics such as size, location,
adjacent property, and street features to assess the viability
of the project.
Approval and recommendations are sought from the
Department of Water and Power, Department of Traffic, and
Fire Department. After these departments grant approval,
the City Council grants the final permit. Adjacent property
owners are notified and should also approve the conversion
of parking spaces to a parklet. Once the approval
conditions are met, the city issues an occupancy permit for
installation per Municipal code, Section 14.14.
Figure 48. Berlin parklet, Long Beach, CA.
Credit: Daniel Faessler
66 F?E(:! AINAIIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF 1NAY
Implementation and Maintenance
The business owner or any entity leasing the land for
a parklet is responsible for the regular maintenance of the
facility. The city requires that the permittee maintains liability
insurance for the entire permit period, and the amount can
range from $1 million to $2 million. The permit is valid for
one year and is eligible for renewal, provided there are no
changes to the facility. Applicants pay $819 per year for the
processing of the permit.
Successes and Challenges
The two parklets are achieving the objective of
increasing restaurant serving space and stimulating business.
Restaurant patrons often gravitate to seating in the parklet
rather than the indoor seating area. The parklets' popularity
is partly attributable to their location on a busy street with
many bus lines and a recently designated bike route.
According to Michael Bohn, project designer, the creation
of the parklets has contributed to two full-time and four part-
time employment positions in the adjacent restaurants.
On the other hand, some have been critical of the
Long Beach parklets because of their more private nature
compared to the parklets in other cities. While other cities
are explicit about the public nature of their parklets,
the public can use the Long Beach parklets only at the
discretion of the business operator. As editorialized in the LA
Weekly:28
"How, then, can this truly be a park? The tables
obviously are reserved for customers, who on a
sunny Tuesday afternoon seemed to be enjoying
themselves even without margaritas (an alcohol
permit is pending). The short answer is, it's not a
park. In addition to the modified liquor license and
additional insurance required for the new space,
Lola's owner, Luis Navarro, paid for the parklet:
approximately $20,000 plus the cost of those chairs
and tables. It's fantastic visibility for his restaurant
and a great investment to expand his business, but
shouldn't it be called what it is: a private patio ... in
the street?"
Oakland
Figure 49. Rendering of 40th Street, Oakland, CA.
Credit: Andrea Gaffney and Justin Viglianti
RECLAIMING THE RIGHT OF WADY 67
Origins and Goals
Support for parklets in Oakland has come from many
different groups. Many residents and business owners
repeatedly met with city officials and council members
to push for a parklet program, with Walk Oakland/Bike
Oakland, a group active in advocating for pedestrian
improvements, mounting a parklet campaign. In addition,
the success of parklets in nearby San Francisco along with
the popularity of Park(ing) Day in Oakland built momentum
for parklets. The City of Oakland became interested in
translating the temporary Park(ing) Day event into a longer -
term and more permanent program for Oakland.
Oakland initiated a pilot parklet program in the fall of
2011. The main objective for this program is to increase and
attract pedestrians and economic activity in commercial
areas. The city hopes to create a more pedestrian -friendly
environment and provide spaces for people to sit and relax.
68 REC! AIMING' i HE RIGW i OF WAY
According to city planner Blair Miller, formerly with the
Oakland Redevelopment Agency,
"Parklets can be an innovative way to improve the
pedestrian experience in Oakland. We hope all
residents will benefit from the creativity and initiative
of private businesses and community groups in the
creation of unique, attractive urban spaces."
Planning Process and Design Development
Although no parklets currently exist in Oakland at the
time of this writing, several parklets will soon be installed.
The city released a Notice of Opportunities to encourage
applications for parklets throughout the city. The city
published a notice for applicants to apply for a parklet;
a maximum of eight parklets could have been approved
for the pilot program with a goal of one parklet in each of
the eight council districts. Applicants had to demonstrate
a suitable location, community support, a clear and well
thought out design, and evidence that the parklet would
be well -maintained. The city primarily considered location of
the proposed parklet, the vision of the applicants, and their
ability to take it to completion. A $150 application fee was
required to be considered for a parklet.
Seven applications were complete enough to move
forward, just shy of the goal to have one parklet in each of
the eight council districts. The seven completed applications
came from two caf6s, a bakery, a photography shop, a
retail shop, a homeowner, and a condominium association.
The city established the following process for parklet
implementation:
1. City of Oakland releases Notice of Opportunity.
2. Interested parties respond to the notice with
preliminary design sketches, demonstrated
community support and evidence of
maintenance capability and $150 application fee.
3. City of Oakland selects sites that can move
forward.
4. Design Review Exempt process begins and the
city reviews plans checking for basic safety
guidelines (see below.)
5. Public notice of future parklet is posted for 17
calendar days.
6. If no concerns are raised during the public
notice period, a Noticing Permit is granted.
7. Applicants apply for encroachment permit
(with $1,100 fee) with full construction drawings.
8. Once encroachment permit is granted,
applicants can begin construction.
City staff worked with the City Attorney's Office to
create the required paperwork for the encroachment
permit and the maintenance agreement. The minor
encroachment permit carries a processing fee of about
$1,100. The city requires applicants to notify the public of
their intent prior to applying for their encroachment permit.
Public notice is required at this early stage so that interested
parties could voice concerns sooner rather than later, in
the hopes that all issues are addressed before finalizing
construction drawings and other later steps.
At the time of this writing, only two sites had received
approval of their encroachment permits. One of these
parklets will be located at Alcatraz Avenue near San Pablo
Avenue and is sponsored by Actual Cafe. The other parklet
will be located near the intersection of 40th Street and
Webster Street and is sponsored by Subrosa Coffee and
Manifesto Bicycles. The other five sites are in earlier stages of
development.
The city does not stipulate design guidelines but does
have safety guidelines, including curb distances and bollard
distance specifications. The City Engineer reviews the
designs to ensure that they include features such as 42-inch
high railings along the road edge. Parklets must be located
at least one parking spot away from a street corner and
RE(:. AIK41i4ca liE NicaiA T of wtiY 69
cannot be along a street with a speed limit of more than
25 mph. They may be allowed in white (loading zones) and
green (ten minute parking) zones if the entity that requested
these zones agrees to re -purpose the curb area. Parklets
cannot be placed in front of a fire hydrant or in a way that
restricts access to any private or public utility. Parklets shall
also not be placed in front of or adjacent to a multi -space
parking meter kiosk; a minimum clearance of six feet shall
be maintained around all kiosks.
Implementation and Maintenance
The city is considering amending the municipal code to
include parklets and allowing a limited number of parklets to
be approved twice a year through an application process
similar to a request for proposal (RFP). The initial application
process for the pilot program was started by the Community
Redevelopment Agency (CRA). Upon dissolution of the
CRA, parklet permitting moved to the Planning Department,
which issues the noticing permit and reviews initial design.
The Building Department is then responsible for the
final review and plan approval for the encroachment
permit.
70 NECLAIMINGA THE RICHA T OF WAY
The applicant/parklet sponsor must cover construction,
maintenance, and insurance costs. The city subsidizes staff
time and some of the application/permitting fees. Each
parklet site must be cost -neutral. Therefore, revenue lost
from parking meters has to be compensated elsewhere. The
city staff must create a new metered space to replace the
one lost by the parklet or the applicant must pay the city
the lost meter revenue up to $14,442.44 per space. Six of
the proposed parklets are located in free parking spaces,
and only one has been proposed in two metered parking
spaces. Replacement meters are being installed at another
nearby location.
Figure 50. Parking kiosk, Oakland, CA.
Credit: Mike Linksvayer
RE(:! AIK4114(a i WE RI(alA i OF INAY 71
The city requires the following of the parklet's sponsor:29 Successes and Challenges
Provide evidence of at least $1 million in Given that no parklets have been installed in Oakland
general liability insurance naming the City of as of this writing, it is too early to evaluate successes and
Oakland as additional insured. challenges of the city's nascent parklet pilot program.
• Sign a Maintenance Agreement with the City
of Oakland that may require the permit holder
to do the following:
A. Keep all plants in good health.
B. Keep parklet free of debris and
grime.
C. Adequately maintain the surface.
D. Sweep out debris from under the
parklet as needed.
E. Once a year before the rainy
season power wash under the Parklet.
Do not allow power wash water to flow
into the storm drain. Use appropriate
storm drain inlet protection and storm
water best management practices. (See
Mobile Cleaners guidelines at http://
cleanwaterprogram.org/resources/
commercial.html )
72 F?E(:! AIKAIIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF INAY
Policy Recommendations
In order for cities to make the most out of their
parklet programs, we present the following list of policy
recommendations based on lessons learned from our case
studies:
Identify residual spaces in priority areas. Not all sites or
all neighborhoods are appropriate for parklets. Parklets
work well where there is a certain level of foot traffic,
where automobile traffic is low -speed, and where
there are surrounding establishments that can provide
a level of natural surveillance. Cities can develop an
inventory of residual spaces in priority areas with low
amounts of open space.
• Provide urban design guidelines. As already
demonstrated by some cities, design guidelines should
not stifle parklet design and experimentation, but must
ensure that appropriate safety standards are met.
Encourage creative parklet design. Parklets can be
functional and aesthetic assets for cities, especially if
they demonstrate unique and innovative architectural
and landscape designs. Cities should encourage
innovation and experimentation in parklet design. At
times, design competitions or charrettes may produce
a rich inventory of ideas about parklet design.
Encourage community appropriate design.
Depending on the community needs and the
character of the surrounding area, parklets
should facilitate passive or active recreation,
include age -specific activities (i.e. for young
children or senior citizens, etc.), and incorporate
neighborhood -specific cultural and landscape
elements in their design.
Streamline permitting process. Part of the
appeal of parklets is that they are relatively
easy to plan and install. Cities should ensure
that the permitting process is simple, low-cost,
and does not deter potential parklet sponsors.
At the same time, permits should be renewed
annually, giving cities the opportunity to monitor
the operation and maintenance of parklets.
Designate lead staff person and public agency.
While various public departments have
jurisdiction over city streets, it is essential that a
particular city agency (and ideally a particular
staff person) takes the lead in coordinating the
parklet planning and installation process.
Streamline maintenance requirements. Cities
should make the expected levels of maintenance
very clear to parklet sponsors and keep a
watchful eye to guarantee that all maintenance
requirements are met. This can be done with an
inspection prior to the renewal of permits.
Conclusion
The seven city programs included in this chapter
represent a range of programs from the most advanced
to nascent. The short time frame between them
demonstrates how quickly parklet programs have spread
across North America. While not every city has conducted
an evaluation of its parklet program, the data that does
exist, along with anecdotal evidence suggests that both
users (residents and customers of local businesses) and
sponsors (typically a business or business association) are
responding positively to parklets and demanding more of
them. All cities discussed in this toolkit plan to expand their
parklet program in some way. Additionally, many more
cities are planning to begin piloting parklet projects in late
2012 or early 2013. This includes Chicago, IL, Asheville, NC,
and Boston, MA, with more cities likely to begin pilots and
programs.
Los Angeles and other cities seeking a pathway
for more parklets can learn from the history, processes,
challenges, and successes of these parklet programs.
For comparison purposes, the table below highlights the
RECLAIMING THE RIGHT OF WAY 73
cities by their number of parklet sites, the city departments
involved in their parklet program, their permit requirements
and costs, required insurance, and duration of the parklets.
The following chapter provides details at a more micro
level to help readers select a project site and design a
parklet based on its specific context.
4 RE(,' Nrn4ii4ca T liE Nicaii T OF 1NNY
Table 1. Summary and Comparison of Parklet Programs
Number of Parklets Departments Permit Required
City Installed Involved and Cost Insurance/Liability
San Francisco
Montreal
New York City
Vancouver
Lead: Department
of City Planning
Coordination:
35 Department of
Public Works,
Municipal
Transportation
Agency, and non-
profit partner
Approximately 90
Department of
Public Works
$791 base fee
$191.50 for
before and after
inspection
$221 Yearly permit
renewal
$600 for application
$7,625 fee with
parking meters
$2,207 fee without
parking meters
$1 million
$2 million
Duration
Year-round;
Applicants must
renew permits
yearly
April - October
Department of
4 Transportation, Cafes must apply $1 - $3 million April 15 -October
Traffic and Planning but no fee required depending on size 14
Division
Engineering Summer:
Department's
No permit required None -conducted (Picnurbia)
2 Street Activities - call for proposals as city project
Branch solicited from artists Semi -permanent:
(Parallel Park)
City
Philadelphia
Long Beach
Oakland
RE(:L►IM114(a i WE RI(aIi i OF INKY 75
Table 1. Summary and Comparison of Parklet Programs (Continued)
Number of Parklets Departments Permit Required
Installed Involved and Cost Insurance/Liability
2
2
7 sites in permitting
process
Lead: Mayor's
Office of
Transportation and
Utilities
Design Review:
Streets Department
Temporary license
issued: Department
of Licenses and
Inspection
Lead: Department
of Public Works
Approval:
Department of
Water and Power,
Department of
Traffic and Fire
Department
Lead: Planning
Department
Reviews: Building
Department
No permit required
$819 with yearly
renewal
$1,100 for a permit
None required to
date - temporary
license
Between $1 million
to $2 million liability
coverage
$1 million in general
liability insurance
Duration
April - October 22
Year-round;
Applicants must
renew permits
yearly
Year-round; yearly
renewal yet to be
determined
76 NE(:! AIM1i4(a T IAE Ni(aiA T of IAJAY
Footnotes
17. San Francisco Pavement to Parks. (2012). Accessed July 18, 2012,
http://sfpave menttoparks.sfplan ning.org/index.htmI
18. San Francisco Planning Department. (November 7, 2011).
"Request for Proposals for Temporary Sidewalk Extensions Parklets,"
accessed July 19, 2012, http://sfpavementtoparks.sfplanning.org/
images/Parklet-Call-for-Projects-1 1071 1.pdf.
19. San Francisco Parklet Request for Proposals. (2012).
20. Pratt, L. (March 18, 2010). "Divisadero Trial Parklet Impact Report,"
accessed July 18, 2012, http://www.greencitiescalifornia.org/sites/all/
files/SF-Divisadero%20Parklet%201mpact%20Report. pdf Great Streets San
Francisco.
21. Le Plateau -Mont -Royal Montr6al. (2011). "Cadre Normatif a
L'6mission Des Permis Pour Les Caf6s en Contre Terrasse Sur Chauss6e Sur
le Domaine Public."
22. New York City Department of Transportation. (2012). "Curbside
Public Seating Sponsored by Local Businesses Evaluation Report,"
accessed July 18, 2012, http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/
curbside -seating pilot-evaluation.pdf.. "- Caf6 Pilot Program Evaluation
Report Program Description."
23. New York City Department of Transportation. (2012). "Pop-up
Caf6: Design Guidelines."
24. Janoff, E. (February 28, 2012). City Planner, Office of Planning
and Sustainability, NYC Department of Transportation. (M. Brozen,
Interviewer)
25. Viva Vancouver. (2012). Accessed July 19, 2012, http://
vancouver.ca/engsvcs/streets/vivavancouver/about.htm.
26 Philadelphia Mayor's Office of Transportation and Utilities. (April
11, 2012). "Parklet Grant Request for Proposals," accessed July 18, 2012,
http://phillymotu.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/parklet-grant-rfp.pdf.."
27. City of Long Beach Municipal Code. (2012). Accessed July 18,
2012, http://library.municode.com/index.aspx?clientld=16115.
28. Walker, A. (January 26, 2012). "Southern California's First `Parklet'
Asks the Question: What is a Park, Really?" LA Weekly, accessed July
18, 2012, http://blogs.laweekly.com/arts/2012/01 /long_beach_parklet_
public_spac.php.
29. City of Oakland. (2011). "Notice of Parklet Opportunity."
��. IDESI(*oiI� CaLJ IDNIV(,E
l
r
!1
Introduction
This purpose of this chapter is to provide practical
guidance on selecting a site and designing a parklet. The
information provided in this chapter was collected through
interviews with parklet designers, business owners, and
city staff from cities where parklets have been planned or
implemented. The first section provides site criteria about
where to build a parklet. Information about how to design
a parklet is then provided through a range of parklet
examples. A well -designed parklet in an ideal location and
with a strong community partner can encourage a vibrant
street life and foster future investment in a neighborhood.
t.1
.61
8 NEc! AiIMInNca THE RIGM T of WAY
How do I Select a Site?
A number of communities are seeking ways to improve
the physical environment by re -purposing road space into
parklets. A first step in the parklet development process
is to select a site. Site selection should be driven by two
main criteria: appropriate physical site characteristics and
a responsible site steward/community partner. Both are
critical for parklet success. For example, an ideal physical
site could exist; however, either through design failure or
an irresponsible steward, a site could fall into disrepair and
not reach the goal of improving the physical environment.
The community partner is typically the adjacent business
who applies for the permit, pays for the construction,
and maintains the parklet after its installation. Criteria for
a physical site and community partner are driven by the
following considerations:
Physical Site Considerations: Required
• Low traffic speeds. Cities with parklet programs
stipulate that parklets should only be installed
in streets with low speed limits, typically 25 mph
or lower. To minimize air pollution exposure
to pedestrians, it is also recommended that
parklets are not installed in areas with high
traffic volumes.
• Existing pedestrian activity. Although parklets
have the potential to increase pedestrian
activity, there should already be demand for
walking in the area.
• Surrounding land uses that can support
pedestrian activity. These commonly include
commercial, high -density residential and
mixed -use areas.
Physical Site Considerations: Recommended
• High visibility from inside adjacent business.
This will provide "eyes on the street" to support
safety for parklet users.
• Adjacent businesses open during normal
business hours or longer. This is particularly
important if there are movable tables and
chairs in the site that must be taken in and out
at night.
• Existing shade trees. Most parklets feature
landscaping; however, this is typically for
greening rather than for providing shade,
particularly because of site visibility issues.
Therefore, it is recommended to select sites
with off -site shade, such as nearby trees.
• Existing street lights on site. For safety
considerations, the ideal parklet site is well lit
at night.
RE(:. AIK4114ca SAE RI(IIA T OF INAY 79
Community Partner Considerations: Required
• Dedicated partner for site upkeep. Partners may
include: adjacent business owners, business
improvement associations/districts, community
groups with close ties to a particular area, or
resident associations. The ideal group should
demonstrate dedication to a specific area
rather than a broad focus.
• Ability to take on $1 million of insurance. Most
parklet applicants already hold this amount of
business insurance.
Community Partner Considerations: Recommended
• Existing cleaning crew. A business improvement
district (BID) can be an ideal partner as
they typically already handle cleaning
responsibilities in the area.
• Previous involvement in sustainability and/
or beautification projects. Parklets programs
typically involve a variety of city departments.
Therefore, prior experience working with city
agencies/departments is helpful.
80 RE(.! AIK4IIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF 1NAY
How do I Design a Site?
Parklet design can be driven both by physical site characteristics and the desired planned duration for the parklet.
There are a variety of different options to be considered. The following table outlines these options and the following section
provides more details that are illustrated with specific parklet projects.
Surrounding Land Use
Residential
Example:
• San Francisco's Deeplet
Commercial
Example:
• Philadelphia's University City
District
Tablet. Parklet Typologies
Parklet Shape
Parallel Parking Space
Example:
• Most of the parklets from San
Francisco's Pavement to Parks
Program
Diagonal Space
Example:
• San Francisco's Devil's Tooth Parklet
Roadway Travel Lane
Example:
• Vancouver's Picnurbia
Traffic Triangle
Example:
• Los Angeles' Sunset Triangle
Duration
One Day
Example:
• Park(ing) Day
Seasonal
Examples:
• New York City's "Pop -Up Cafes"
• Philadelphia's University City District
Year-Round/Semi-Permanent
Example:
• The parklets in San Francisco
Permanent
Example:
• Los Angeles' Byzantine -Latino
Quarter Parklet
What are Land Use Considerations?
... in a commercial area
Most parklets are located in commercial districts.
Yet not every part of every commercial district is a good
candidate for a parklet. While parklets have the potential
to increase the amount of people walking in an area, they
should not be the only pedestrian attraction on a street. A
commercial area that is already attracting pedestrians is
important to ensure parklet use.
A business owner who would like to sponsor a parklet
in a commercial area should be mindful that parklets are
public spaces (unless otherwise specified, as could be the
case in Long Beach, CA). Parklet signage must convey to
pedestrians that the space is public rather than an extension
of a business. Other design elements can be included to
underscore that the space is welcoming to the public. For
instance, as shown in figure 52, colorful chairs and tables
placed in the parklet can be used to attract attention from
passing pedestrians, who can enter the platform from the
sidewalk (with railings on the street side as protection from
vehicles).
RE(:. AIM1i4ca IAE NicaiA T of IAJAY 81
If a parklet is properly located and designed in a
commercial district, it can support economic activity
by helping to draw people to a commercial street and
providing more space for the enjoyment of the area and its
businesses. This is true in Philadelphia's University City District,
where a seasonal parklet (from spring to mid -autumn) has
helped increase revenue by 20 percent for the adjacent
cafe, Green Line. A similar result occurred in New York City,
where the owners of Local, a parklet-adjacent business,
reported that the installation was "definitely good for
business, especially in a way that creates new space for
the community.1130 Other parklet-adjacent businesses in
NYC —including Ecopolis, Le Pain Quotidien, Bombay, and
FIKA—agreed with this assessment. For instance, Bombay's
sales increased by 14 percent from the year prior to the
parklet's installation, while FIKA's sales increased by 9 to
15 percent. Depending on a parklet's design, construction
and implementation, business owners investing in a parklet
can expect to recover costs in approximately five years,
although some businesses recoup costs at a quicker rate.
82 RE(. Arn4iigca iiE Nicaiq T OF INAY
Im
W1.
sa- Nr
! f i
C
Figure 51. Parklet, Philadelphia, PA.
Credit: Dan Reed
Figure 52. Colorful chairs at parklet, Philadelphia, PA.
,, Credit: Philly Bike Coalition
f
... in a residential area
While most parklets are located in commercial or
mixed -use commercial areas, parklets can be successful
in residential areas, with sponsorship from one or more
residents and support from local neighbors. The "Deeplet"
parklet on San Francisco's Valencia Street is a good
example of residential sponsorship and engagement
(figures 53-54). During renovation of a house on this street,
the project's architect suggested installing a parklet next to
the driveway. The home owners, car -free environmentalists,
agreed that constructing a parklet in front of their house
offered an opportunity to express their values and contribute
to their local community. They recognized that the
sidewalks on Valencia Street were not well maintained and
installation of a parklet could help to improve the pedestrian
experience and encourage walking. Amandeep Jawa and
Kimberly Conley, sponsors of the Deeplet parklet, said of their
project:31
"It is no coincidence that our effort involves
reclaiming our private "car -space" --the street
space in front of our house ... only useful for us to pull
a car out of our private driveway --and converting
it into a spot many can enjoy by making it into a
parklet."
RE(:. AIK41igca SAE NicaiA T OF 1NNY 83
The site's designer, Jane Martin, worked with the parklet
sponsors and their neighbors to select a parklet design that
connected with their love of animals, specifically dinosaurs.
The final site design features a succulent sculpture in the
shape of a Triceratops, a unique aspect differing from many
other parklets that most prominently feature seating.
In most instances, parklets in residential areas should
not include movable tables and chairs. Unlike with
commercial sponsors who can take such furniture inside
their business at the end of the day, a residential sponsor will
likely not want this responsibility nor have the space to store
furniture at night.
A parklet within a residential area should also be
designed to address any concerns about usage. For
instance, to address potential issues of noise from people
congregating in the site at night, the designer of the Deeplet
parklet included slightly downward sloping wooden benches
that are comfortable for sitting but inconvenient for sleeping.
With the exception of the benches, all other surfaces are
made of aluminum to facilitate easy cleaning in the case of
graffiti.
84 HECLAIK4IIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF INAY
Figure 53. Sloped seating, Deeplet, San Francisco, CA. Figure 54. Succulent dinosaur, Deeplet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Daveed Kapoor / utopia.org Credit: Kimberly Conley
What are design considerations based on shape and size?
... if my site is a parking space
Parking space conversions provide for the most
common parklet shape, with two parking spots as the
most common size for curbside parklets. For instance, San
Francisco's parklet permit design guidelines explain that
parklets are generally two parking spots wide, although
expansion may be considered. Table 3 provides a summary
of design guidelines for curbside parklets as provided by San
Francisco and three other cities.
Whether or not a parklet requires a licensed engineer's
or architect's stamp is an important distinction in these
design guidelines. Cities that do not have this requirement
note that it is an expensive and costly barrier for community
groups seeking to install parklets. Cities that require such
a stamp find it to be helpful for ensuring that safety
considerations are met. Regardless of this requirement,
businesses designing parklets should seek review from an
architect or engineer for safety considerations.
Parklets in curbside parking spaces can be designed in
a myriad ways. A few unique curbside design options can
be found in the section, "If my parklet will be installed year-
round/semi-permanently."
RE(*. ain4ii4ca liE Nicaii T of I?VAY 85
...if my site is using diagonal parking stalls
Typical parallel parking spots only allow for a six-
foot wide parklet. In contrast, diagonal stalls are deeper,
extending 11 feet into the street, which allows for a larger
curbside parklet. For example, the Devil's Teeth Bakery in
San Francisco decided to transform its three angled parking
stalls into a uniquely designed parklet featuring two areas
separated by a two -foot wide barrier. These two "zones"
allow the parklet to accommodate different user groups
at the same time, including dog walkers and bicyclists,
people of varying ages, and socializing groups, as well as
individuals seeking a quiet place to read. The design of this
parklet incorporates both seating and landscaping. Seating
is paramount in this parklet, with planted zones along the
length of the benches. This design allows landscaping
without decreasing seating capacity.
The parklet design was constricted by the acute
angles of the space but designer Shane Curnyn was able
to successfully convert these challenges into opportunities.
One acute angle at the uphill end of the parklet became
an opportunity to create a "chaise lounge" condition.
This could have been an awkward conjunction, but good
86 HECLAIK4IIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF (NAY
design transformed it "into the best seat in the house." The
other acute angle provided an opportunity for planting. The
slope of the street also made it tricky to render the street/
parklet interface cleanly, but this obstacle was overcome by
skilled carpentry.
Overall, diagonal parking stalls and other irregularly
shaped sites can be a challenge as well as an opportunity
for simple but creative design. Shane Curnyn provides the
following advice for such sites:
"Keeping the shape of the parklet as simple as
possible while providing the most usable space
and seating for the occupants is the best way to
approach the plan. Save your design energy (and
budget) for the many tricky details and threshold
conditions invoked by street, curb, materials, city,
builder and the client."
EL i7'-7'
ABOVE DATUM*(
A BPVE LIATUM4 AW TO. BENCH
ZX4 CEDAR DECKING,
ISAUVAGED FROM
JOSSITE LEFTOVERS)
NATIVVADAPTM
DROUGHT RESISTANT
PLANTINGS (PHDRMIUM,
SUCCULENTS. MEXICAN
FEATHER GRASS)
WAPLAT ESTEEL(SD%
REGYGLER CONTENT.
TYP.)
PLANTER BOX MINED
WITH ORGANIC.
LOSALV ❑ C
WATERP RDGPtNG
COMPOUND)
P,T. FRAMING,TYP
1X4 CEDAR SIDINC+.
(SALVAGED FROM
JCOSITE LEFTOVERS)
a CONCRETE SLAB (HIGH
r ALBEDO. 90%'FLV ASH,
TYP)
a
(E) ASPHALT ROAD
SURFACE
R SECTION ❑ETAIL @ SOUTH SEAT
2- _ ,,_U„
Figure 55. Seating lined with landscaping, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Matarozzi Pelsigner Builders
City
Size of Parklet
RE(:! NIIIAIIV(a i WE RI(ali i OF I?VAY 8
Table 3. Summary of Design Guidelines for Parklets in Different Cities
San Francisco
6' width, flush with curb
(1 /2" gap max)
Oakland
New York City
6' width. Should be
as flush to the curb as
possible —at a minimum
12' must be flush with
the sidewalk
Philadelphia
6' width
Load Not specified
Load bearing: 750 Ibs/
Must support 100 Ibs/ sq. ft.
sq. ft.
load
Curbside drainage
Platform should allow for
Must maintain curb line
Drainage
must not be impeded
and must allow for easy
easy access underneath
drainage
Same design
access to the space
and curbside drainage may
guidelines as San
underneath
not be impeded
Francisco
Should have vertical
Wind/ Visually permeable
Should be stable under
Visibility outside edge; railing
elements so that it is
wind -loads of 80 mph with
may be required
visible from vehicles
open guard rails
DOT assesses site to
4' distance from parklet
determine safety
Must have reflective soft hit
to wheel stop (behind)
Barriers
improvements: traffic
posts and may have wheel
3' wheel stop installed
markings, flexible
stops installed 1 ft. from curb
1' from curb (ahead)
bollards, and wheel
stops
Licensed
Engineer Stamp No
Yes
Yes
No
Required?
88 RE(:! AIIIAIIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF INKY
O
r
D
.. ,r
-- ,n
1� (N) WOOD BENCH
(N) WOOD BENCH + BACKREST
3 (N) WOOD PLANTER
(N) CONCRETE SLAB (OVER SLIPSHEET)
(N) STEEL PLATE OVER GUTTER FLOWLINE
(E) SIDEWALK PLANTER
0' 1 ' 2' 4' S' 16, ram•_
Plan - Nariega Parklet
Figure 56. Plan view of Noriega parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Matarozzi Pelsigner Builders
... if I want to design within a traffic triangle and/or a
travel lane
Compared to the conversion of a parking space,
transforming a traffic triangle and/or travel lane into a
parklet can be a more significant and longer -term endeavor.
The Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative (LANI) constructed
such a parklet, converting both a traffic triangle and a travel
lane into a pedestrian plaza within Los Angeles's Byzantine
Latino Quarter neighborhood. Prior to construction, the traffic
triangle was disconnected from the adjacent sidewalk by a
slip turn lane (a lane which allows drivers to turn right without
coming to a complete stop). LANI used concrete to fill in the
slip turn lane and connect the sidewalk to the traffic triangle,
which transformed the dangerous traffic triangle into a
welcoming and safe place for pedestrians and transit riders.
Traffic patterns were not affected by this change because
drivers are still able to turn right, although they must go
around the corner rather than in the slip lane.
While LANI sought to create a permanent pedestrian
plaza and went through the permitting process to do so, less
permanent parklets can also be installed in traffic triangles
and/or travel lanes. Designers sometimes have the option to
use paint instead of concrete to create their parklet, as was
the case at the Sunset Triangle Plaza parklet.
RECLAIMING* THE RIGW i OF INKY 89
Figure 57. Plan view of traffic triangle conversion, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit- Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris
90 RE(.! Ain4iwca T IAF Nicaii T OF INAY
FA
Figure 58. Converted traffic triangle, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative
E
...if my site is a street segment
Most parklets involve the conversion of parking spaces,
but some larger parklets take up entire sections of a street.
Additional space allows for creative designs that can serve
multiple users. The following two examples illustrate the
flexibility and diversity among this type of large parklet:
the Sunset Triangle Pedestrian Plaza in Los Angeles and
Picnurbia in Vancouver.
Sunset Triangle
The Sunset Triangle Pedestrian Plaza in Los Angeles
was organized by Streets for People, an initiative of the
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and the
City of Los Angeles Planning Commission, as described
in Chapter 2 of this toolkit. Opened in March of 2012, the
parklet exists on one block of Griffith Park Boulevard in Silver
Lake that was closed to automobile traffic between Sunset
Boulevard, Maltman Avenue, and Edgecliff Drive.
The adjacent businesses and the Silver Lake
Improvement Association formulated the initial plan for
the parklet, and the Los Angeles County Public Health
Department funded the project before their federal
American Recovery & Reinvestment Act grant expired. A
quick implementation schedule and the temporary nature
Figure 59. "Billboard" with green polka dots, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Ross Reyes
RE(:. AIM114(a i WE RI(ali i OF INAY Al
of the pilot project drove design considerations. Parklet
design elements had to be "non -committal." This translated
into the use of paint instead of jackhammers and removable
furniture and planters rather than permanently built pieces.
Transforming the site required using the entire 11,000
square -foot site as a "billboard, " with a painted green
surface and polka dots. The color green was selected
because many other colors were "off limits" as they denote
specific purposes in traffic control (i.e., red denotes a no
parking zone, and blue is used for handicapped spaces).
The color green was selected to highlight the transformation
of the site into a public space for people, similar to a
traditional public park with green grass. Additionally, large
polka dots in a lighter green color were added to the
pattern to give dimension and help camouflage dirt and
other imperfections on the pavement.
Design elements include chairs, tables, umbrellas,
planters, and bike racks. Planters are used to close the
street and block off entrance to cars. These bollard planters
are filled with sand and soil at their base and with drought
tolerant plantings on top. The City of Los Angeles selected
the planters and other design elements based on their use
in parklets in other cities. After installation, someone also
added a basketball hoop, which proved to be one of the
most well used elements in the parklet.
92 RE(.�LAIK4114(a T liE NicaiA T of wAY
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation (DOT)
installed the parklet in early 2012. Installation by the DOT
allowed the project to move forward without going through
a permitting process because many project tasks —such as
pavement painting, street closure signage, and bike rack
installation —are common functions performed by the DOT
installation crews.
Still in its infancy, the parklet is showing early signs
of success. Although some customers may have initially
struggled to find parking after several parking spaces were
removed, more recent anecdotal evidence suggests that
business has since picked up after customers learned of the
relocated parking spaces. Business may also be benefiting
from an increased number of pedestrians visiting the area.
For instance, the owner of Morning Nights Cafe, Julie Choe,
noted that revenues at her cafe have gone up by about 20
percent on weekends since the installation of the parklet.32
Fig. 60. Planters, Sunset Triangle Plaza, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Alissa Walker
Figure 61. LADOT installation crews, Sunset Triangle Plaza,
Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Margot Ocanas
11
*RNA
I
w
J
94 RECLAIMING 'THE F?I(aW i OF WAY
Picnurbia
Another example of a parklet that emerged from a
street closure is the Picnurbia parklet, which was installed on
Robson Street in downtown Vancouver during the summer
of 2011. During this time, the city had closed Robson Street
to vehicular traffic due to underground construction. The
parklet allowed the city to transform a closed street into a
playful public space that measured 96 feet in length, 15 feet
in width, and 8 feet in height (at its highest point). Located
in an area with relatively high foot traffic within a popular
commercial district and near a public square, the parklet
enhanced the pedestrian experience.
Picnurbia was designed to be a temporary and
movable installation, creating a public "living room" where
people could spend time, whether with friends, food, or a
book. One of the designers, Philipp Dittus, used the following
description to explain the character that Picnurbia sought to
create:33
"It is a place. A wave. A stimulus. An enabler. A park.
A piece of furniture. A piece of art. A road block. It
is yellow. It is for everybody. IT IS PUBLIC."
Figure 63. Picnurbia, Vancouver, BC.
Credit: Neal LaMontagne
The designers of the Picnurbia parklet wanted the
installation to be inclusive for many potential users, and to
denote public space. Because the parklet was not attached
to a commercial operation, it did not require much effort
to understand that it was public space. Design elements
included seating in the shape of a wave, umbrellas for
providing shade, as well as bridges, benches, and tables
spanning the length of the wave. Design materials included
plywood and construction timber, painted for weather
protection and covered by a 1 1/3-inch-thick yellow artificial
turf. No design elements were considered more important
than others. The designer described the elements in the
following way:
"The wooden material which is common and easy
to get, gives it the characteristics of furniture. The
turf attracted visually with its color, plus it teased
people to come closer, touch it, get in on it. The
umbrellas offered shadow and made it visible
from blocks away; they also created zones on the
installation. The bridge/bench/table did the same
for exactly the same reasons."
Safety for parklet users was ensured thanks to
Picnurbia's location on a closed street with no vehicular
traffic and because the installation conformed to the city's
RECLAIMING* THE RIGHT OF WAY J:)
building code. Comfort was provided by the soft -surface turf
material, shadow from the umbrellas, and the "ergonomic"
form of the wave design. There were no specific design
elements intended to protect the parklet from vandalism or
crime but the city maintained and cleaned the installation
on a regular basis. Because the installation was designed to
be movable, the city could decide to bring the parklet to
other areas during future summers.
Figure 64. Picnurbia, Vancouver, BC.
Credit: Neal LaMontagne
96 RECLAIMING i WE F?I(aW i OF WAY
I
rm
Figure 65. Conceptual design for Picnurbia, Vancouver, BC.
Credit: Loose Affiliates
F
What are considerations based on the duration of the installation?
Figure 66. Park(ing) Day installation, Downtown Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Mike Manal
RECLAIMING* THE RIGHT OF WAY 97
...if I want to have a parklet installed for one day
Participating in Park(ing) Day, an annual event
described previously in this toolkit, is a way for groups
and organizations to transform a single metered parking
space into a temporary parklet. A Park(ing) Day installation
can provide an opportunity to build public awareness
of parklets and also increase potential support for more
permanent installations. This occurred successfully in Los
Angeles and Oakland, as the examples below highlight.
At the Spring Street parklet installation on Park(ing)
Day in 2011, the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood
Council conducted a survey for people stopping by the
temporary installation. They asked questions such as:
• How would you like to spend your time while
at a parklet?
• How often would you spend time in a parklet?
• What are your priorities for design elements in
a parklet?
0 Would you kiss your loved one in a parklet?
98 REC! AIMINGA i HE RIGM i OF WAY
Responses to these questions helped inform design
for a more permanent parklet on the same site. The
neighborhood council collected 50 responses to their survey
and found the following:
• Seventy percent of respondents would visit a
parklet at the site daily or weekly.
• Fifty percent of respondents were most
interested in having space to hang out alone
or with others and having planting/greenery as
design elements in the parklet.
• Eighty-five percent of respondents would kiss
their loved ones in a parklet.
Similarly, one currently planned site for a more
permanent parklet pilot project in Oakland got its start with
a Park(ing) Day installation that included a sidewalk party
with a DJ and dancing. The permit applicant, Actual Cafe,
left a parklet guest book for people to register their interest
in creating a more permanent installation. These comments
were used as evidence of community support in their parklet
application. The guest book collected comments such as:34
"I am a life-long Oaklander... The parklet changed
the whole atmosphere of this block in a way
I've never seen in Oakland. It makes the street
feel like ''ours' in a way it did not before. Just
looking at the cozy benches and warm wooden
construction gives the eyes a rest from the asphalt
and grime that, unfortunately, pervades this area.
I hope and believe this parklet will bring long-
term neighborhood residents of all ages out onto
the street to help renew and refresh this district
and highlight our beautiful diversity and peaceful
strength."
PHLa R TFA .
Figure 67. Whimsical drawing from parklet petition, Oakland, CA.
Credit: Actual Cafe
In addition to the guest book pages, Actual Caf6 also
collected over 600 signatures for a petition to the City of
Oakland for a permanent parklet on the site. The petition
stated:
"Make Actual CaWs parklet a permanent fixture of
the Golden Gate District! Please grant Actual Caf6
a permit for permanent installation of its parklet in
the defunct AC transit bus stop on Alcatraz Avenue.
I believe the parklet will enhance the livability of
the Golden Gate district."
The Oakland and Los Angeles Park(ing) Day examples
show the power of using Park(ing) Day to garner support for
more permanent installations. Both of these sites are in the
permit approval process at the time of publication of this
toolkit.
Any group can participate in Park(ing) Day, even if a
more permanent parklet is not proposed for the site. The
following information provides practical advice for a group
wanting to stage a Park(ing) Day installation:
RE(.* AIK41i4ca liE NicaiA T of wtiY 99
Bring material for the "floor" of the parklet.
This is commonly a large piece of Astroturf or
something which conveys the transformation
from a parking space to a temporary park.
• Pick a location with significant foot traffic. This will
help ensure that the Park(ing) Day installation
is well attended. As described in Chapter I of
this toolkit, the organization Pacoima Beautiful
selected a location in front of a public library.
Plan some activities. Not everyone is familiar
with parklets and as such, may not feel
comfortable spending leisure time in a parking
space. By having activities such as art projects
or information tables, people will be more likely
to enter the parklet and engage in activities.
Bring signage. This is especially important when
people are not familiar with parklets or Park(ing)
Day. Signage will help to avoid confusion about
the purpose of the installation. The signage does
not have to say "parklet," as this term may not
yet be understood in a particular community,
but should somehow denote that the space is
public.
Overall, participating in Park(ing) Day is a great
opportunity for community member engagement and to
build public support for parklets.
100 RE(:! AIKAIIV(a i WE RI(al-I i OF I?VAY
Figure 68. Signage at Pacoima Park(ing) Day, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Pacoima Beautiful
... if a parklet is installed seasonally
Parklets in cities with harsh winter months, including
New York City and Philadelphia, are designed to be
removed in the winter. Design considerations for parklets in
these cities are slightly different than for year-round parklet
installations, with designers finding solutions to address
the issue of seasonal installation. Typically, the design of
seasonal parklets is simpler compared to year-round parklet
installations.
The Philadelphia solution was to develop a modular
system that could fold up flat to fit into a truck and be
quickly installed, minimizing labor costs and installation time.
The Philadelphia designers also wanted a system that was
generic enough in its components to be configured for a
variety of designs, differing sizes, and varying curb cuts.
Indeed, the final Philadelphia modular system provides great
flexibility and can be placed practically anywhere. The
modules take less than a day to install and can be easily
installed at short notice for other types of public events, such
as street fairs, bike events, or marathons.
The modular system consists mainly of three
components: a railing, a deck, and a planter box. The
railing is made of steel and designed in such a way that it
is comfortable to lean on and can handle occasional high
Figure 69. Parklet installation, Philadelphia, PA.
Credit: Philly Bicycle Coalition
RE(:! AIKAIIV(a i WE RI(alA i OF INAY 101
capacity. The deck and planters are made of wood. Planters
and railing can be combined and configured in a variety of
ways to define the boundaries of a parklet. Other components
such as benches, tables, high -top tables, and bike racks can
be customized to suit the preferred type of use and size of the
site. In addition, the designers have devised about six to seven
attachment points or connectors that allow for attaching any
number of components to the basic module.
New York City's first parklet design employed Riyad
Ghannam, a designer who had previously worked on
parklet designs in San Francisco. The objective was to create
"the nicest space we could make for the least amount
of money," said Ghannam.35 Similar to Philadelphia, the
site design is a simple deck ringed by metal planters and
cable fencing. The planters are the most costly item of the
construction but are important as they have many functions
including providing a main structural element, a barrier from
vehicles, and support railing/fencing. The decking "does
the most for the least," providing the flooring for the parklet
in a cost-effective manner. For later iterations of the design,
the designer substituted concrete for wood on the decks
because concrete is more durable. The cable guardrail
and the planters are intended to be as tall as possible within
structural and budget constraints.
102 RE(.! AIK4IIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF 1NAY
The New York City designer believes that the plantings
are the most important part of parklet design. Mr. Ghannam
noted the importance of including as much "green" space
elements as possible or else it "just looks like a sidewalk.1131
In both Philadelphia and New York City, the seasonal
parklets cannot be attached to the street or the sidewalk
but rather need to be encompassed on a platform. Neither
city has encountered any problems with this system thus far;
however, there is a limit on the amount of design elements
and amenities that can be placed on a platform.
Responses to interviews in New York City and
Philadelphia indicate the ability for parklets to be
constructed, removed, and stored by the parklet sponsor/
business owner during the winter months. Therefore, location
and weather do not seem to affect the ultimate success of
parklets.
...if my parklet is installed year-round or
semi -permanently
Parklets in San Francisco exist year-round, although
applicants must submit a $221 fee for yearly renewal fees.
Most parklets have been installed in San Francisco over
the last two years with no set expiration date. As such, the
overall lifespan and longevity of each parklet site is not yet
clear. The semi -permanence of San Francisco's parklets
and the ever-increasing number of installed sites provide
for a diversity of designs. This section highlights three semi-
permanent parklet designs in San Francisco, selected by the
authors of this toolkit because of their uniqueness and ability
to inspire creative designs for other semi -permanent parklets.
Peace Keeper Parklet
The "Peace Keeper" parklet is located in front of a
local art gallery in San Francisco. Erik Otto, an artist who had
worked with the gallery for many years, designed and built
this parklet, which is constructed with recycled materials.
The major design elements include a small house and
removable beanbags. Neighbors donated the landscaping
elements, including most of the succulents and an olive
tree. These elements sit on top of a foundation made of a
galvanized steel frame with an array of regularly spaced
1/2--inch anchor points for bolting.
The art gallery intended for the parklet platform to
house a variety of different parklet elements and to be built,
reconfigured, and secured over time. The gallery is currently
accepting submissions for the next parklet installation in front
of their establishment.
FABRIC8 x ERIK 0TTO
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can sbucdred otracyr.�edmatedsls. Sef.t—..0 b. P&M d
Figure 70. Conceptual drawing of the
"Peace Keeper" parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Erik Otto
RE(:, AIM114(a i IiE RI(ali i OF INAY 103
iv.
L.._ -. -. ._._ { y
20' - 6"
Figure 71. Steel substructure diagram, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: fabric8
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Figure 72. Installed steel sub -structure,
"Peace Keeper" parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Martha Traer
61-0"
104 REC LAIMING i WE RIGM i OF WAY
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Figure 73. "Peace Keeper" parklet, San Francisco, CA.
-= `4 Credit: fabric8 f
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Figure 74. "Walklet," San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Jeremy Shaw
t
RE(:. AIM1i4ca SAE NicaiA T OF 1NNY 105
Valencia Street Parklet
The Rebar group, the art group that first initiated
Park(ing) Day, designed a parklet that is situated in three
parking spaces along Valencia Street in San Francisco.
Rebar envisioned the installation as a "walklet," a modular
sidewalk extension system.
Although a unique parklet, Rebar designed this parklet
with modular system pieces that could be used at other
parklets. All pieces are manufactured in-house by Rebar for
anyone to purchase. The pieces can be combined in any
number of ways as part of a mix -and -match system, as seen
in figure 76.
BIKE RACKS INCREASE FOOT TRAFFIC
SEATING AREAS FOR WAITING, MEETING
HCGH TABLE FOR TO -GO SLICES
LOLO'S ESCAPE FROM REVOLUTION
RESTAURANT NEW YORK PIZZA CAFE
Figure 75. Plan view for Valklet" options, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Rebar
106 RE(:! NIMIIV(a i IiE RI(ali i OF INAY
A MIX -AND -MATCH, MODULAR SYSTEM. CREATE YOUR OWN PROGRAM:
SIMPLE SEAT
Find space to walk, a spot to sit,
and room to breathe in a crowded
urban space. Our simple bench
does it all.
❑EEP SEAT
Relax and put your feet up,
lounge in the span, or spread out
an entire picnic on our most
accomodating urban surface,
SIMPLE EXTENSION
The ultimate space -maker, our
sturdy faller platform will expand your
sidewalk horizons, Also available
with a bike rack attachment.
END RETURN
Provide a stylish entry into your
new public space with our angled
cap piece.
Figure 76.Options for "Walklet" pieces.
Credit: Rebar
HIGH TABLE
Pause for a coffee, a slice, or a
chat at our tall table. This perch
also provides a nice visual barrier
between sidewalk and street.
SIMPLE PLANTER
Provide seating and green space
in one fell swoop. Plant vertical
species like bamboo for shade
and a friendly visual barrier.
DEEP PLANTER
Natural shade is easy with our
deep planter box, which can
easily accomodate a large box
tree plus ground cover.
These modular pieces interlock with each other and
can be bolted to the sidewalk, if desired. However, bolting
into the sidewalk or roadbed is not required because of
the sufficient weight of the pieces. The decking system is
created by using renewable bamboo and is pre -finished
on all faces. Also, if desired, a railing system can be added
The installed site on Valencia Street does not use a railing
system.
REC! AIMING* i WE RIGHT OF WAY 107
Trouble Cafe Parklet
Another unique parklet is located in front of Trouble
Cafe, in San Francisco's Outer Sunset neighborhood. The
parklet is constructed entirely of found wood. The parklet
sponsors and owners of Trouble Cafe, Giulietta Maria
Carrelli and Ajax Oakford, wanted to combine the look of
both "land and sea, like a shipwreck that brings people
together."31
Figure 77. Trouble Cafe parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: San Francisco Planning Department
108 RE(.! AIK4IIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF 1NAY
John King, urban design critic for the San Francisco
Chronicle, described the Trouble Cafe parklet in the
following way:
01
"If parklets were nothing more than sidewalk
extensions above asphalt, the novelty would wear
off. This and a handful of others show what makes
the potential so exciting. They embody aspects
of neighborhood life, letting outsiders experience
strains of local culture. At best, they're a physical
manifestation of today's San Francisco - and
perhaps a hint of tomorrow's city as well.1137
Figure 78. Trouble Cafe parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: SF Bicycle Coalition / sfbike.org
t
... if a parklet is permanent
The previously described parklet in Los Angeles'
Byzantine Latino Quarter that provided an example of
transforming a traffic triangle and driving lane, is also a good
example of a permanent parklet. Permanent installations
require different materials and a different permit compared
to non -permanent parklets. For instance, rather than using
paint as in the Sunset Triangle Plaza parklet, the Byzantine
Latino Quarter installation involved filling in a travel lane with
concrete and permanently re-routing turning traffic around
the corner of the site. Removing concrete can be labor and
cost intensive; therefore, it should only be used if a project is
not planned for removal. Due to its permanent nature, the
project required a lengthy permitting process, a B-permit
in Los Angeles. This is not a revocable permit, as is typical
with parklet installations. The B-permit must be approved by
a number of different city departments, and the approval
process can take a year or more. In contrast, the revocable
R-permit takes approximately six weeks for processing.
This parklet project dramatically and permanently
transformed the area by creating a pedestrian plaza that
included landscaping, irrigation, street furniture, tree wells,
and an improved bus shelter.
How do I construct the parklet base?
Parklets have a base or platform to create a flush and
safe extension of the sidewalk into the street right-of-way.
This is commonly constructed through a sub -structure with
a platform constructed on top, leveling the street section
to the sidewalk. Streets are commonly slightly crowned for
drainage with the middle of the street slightly higher than
the edges; therefore, the sub -structure must account for this
curvature in the street in order to create a level platform.
Engineering options for leveling the platform include the
use of pedestals with differing heights, or steel or wood sub-
structures with angled beams. With all sub -structures, it is
important to maintain curbside drainage by not placing any
sub -structure directly next to the curb.
The company, Bison, manufactures the pedestal system
most commonly used in parklet sub -structures. However, the
Fabric8 installation employs a steel structure with angled
crossbars to create a platform as seen previously in figures 71
& 72. Figure 80 shows a pedestal cross section with spacing
between the pedestals and the curb for drainage purposes.
The Rebar-designed parklet modules feature individual steel
OF—
RECLAIMING THE RIGIA i OF WAY 109
Figure 79. Bison pedestal system during installation,
San Francisco, CA.
Credit: SF Bicycle Coalition / sfbike.org
110 RECLAIMING ING THE RIGHT OF WAY
Figure 80. Cross-section of Bison pedestals of differing heights.
Credit: Daveed Kapoor / utopia.org
LANDSCAPE PER PLAN
CUSHIONS PER PLAN
PLANTER PER PLAN
STEPSTONE TURF PAVER
STEPSTONE PAVER --\
ALIGN
BENCH PER PLAN
'Xi . ................... I
L 4 X 4 1/4" LEDGER
eo
DRILL & RED HEAD L 4 X 4 1/4" LEDGER STEPSTONE PAVERS ON 1"H WEEP BETWEEN
EPCON A7 ADHESIVE BISON VERSADJUST VERTICAL POSTS TO
ANCHOR SYSTEM PEDESTAL SYSTEM PERMIT DRAINAGE
LARR #25379 LARR #25754
sub -structures rather than one continuous platform. Wood
can also be used to construct the sub -structure as was used
in front of Mama's Art Cafe in San Francisco.
A platform must be constructed on top of the sub-
structure. This is typically made of either permeable pre -cast
concrete pavers or pre-treated wood.
The aforementioned Devil's Teeth parklet in San
Francisco utilizes a new approach for building the sub-
structure in a diagonal parking space. This solution involved
a simple, concrete topping slab poured over a slip -sheet (to
prevent bonding to the street), which has turned out to be a
very cost-effective and durable ground surface and a natural
extension of the sidewalk. Concrete also eliminates the need
for cleaning underneath, and easily mitigates the sloping
crown of the road. While this concrete solution seemingly
negates the removable nature of parklets, in fact the slip
sheet allows the concrete to be removed quickly; a few hits
with a chipper will crack it into easily removable pieces.
The installation uses a few wedge anchors to secure
pressure -treated base plates to the road, providing a solid
base for parklet framing. Wedge anchors are only 1 /2" in
diameter and penetrate only about 2" into the street. These
anchors can be cut easily in the event of parklet removal. The
platform on top uses unfinished cedar or redwood as these
RE(:. AIMIIV(a i IAE RIGID i OF INKY 111
woods weather well and do not require maintenance or
refinishing. Additionally, graffiti can be sanded off the platform.
Adjustable pedestals and pre -cast concrete pavers
are the most common combination for creating the parklet
platform. However, there is a range of options that can
be employed. Anyone wanting to design a parklet should
work with a licensed architect or engineer to select the
most appropriate, safe and cost-effective materials for
constructing the parklet platform.
Figure 81. Pre -cast concrete pavers during installation,
San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Streetsblog SF
112 RECLAIMING THE RIGAH i OF WAY
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NEENEWEED
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Figure 82. Steel sub -structure, San Francisco, CA. Figure 83. Divisadero parklet platform, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Martha Traer Credit: SF Bicycle Coalition / sfbike.org
T
;r
Figure 84. Wooden sub -structure, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Excelsior Action Group / www.eagsf.org
RECLAIMIW(a THE RIGM i OF INKY 113
Figure 85. Prefabricated modules, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Kate McCarthy
114 RE(:LAIM114(a i WE R.I(al-I i OF IVAY
How do I design my site for safety?
For health and safety reasons, consideration should be
made to locate parklets on low -speed streets in relatively
low -traffic areas. This can help minimize user exposure to
particulates and other air pollutants.
In addition, city departments of transportation should
install safety features that separate parklet users from traffic
while allowing for visibility and thus protection from crime.
These features could include parking/wheel stops, flexible
bollards, and traffic markings such as striping the outline
parking lane or painting the adjacent curb space. Parklets
also typically have a railing edge to protect users from
traffic. These railings should be visible to motorists. Railings
that allow the parklet to be observed from both sides of the
street can help to ensure user safety from crime.
Moreover, parklet designers should consider safety
considerations when selecting a site, paying particular
attention to the hours and type of operation of surrounding
businesses. Open -front establishments allow natural
surveillance of the parklet by the patrons and owners of
surrounding businesses. For nighttime use and to instill a
feeling of safety, a selection of parklet sites near street lighting
or other sources of lighting is advisable. Lastly, cameras and
closed-circuit television systems can be employed for security
purposes, but may be costly and not necessarily warranted.
Table 4. Parklet Traffic Safety Guidelines in Different Cities
City
San Francisco
Guideline
Generally, the parklet must be located
away from a corner and along a street
with a speed limit of 25mph or less. The
parklet must not extend beyond six feet
from the curb line in places where there is
parallel parking.
Curbside seating platforms are not
appropriate for every street. Typically
New York City they are only permitted on one-way
streets with a single moving lane of traffic
and low vehicle speeds.
Parklets should be located on streets with
posted maximum speed limits of 35 mph.
Philadelphia Approval of any location must be given
by the traffic engineers of the Streets
Department.
Proposed location should have a
Oakland posted speed limit of 25mph or less. The
proposed street should have parking
lanes and only minimal slope.
RE(.! AIK4IIV(a i liE RI(ali i OF INAY 11:)
Figure 86. Four Barrel parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Bruce Damonte Photography
116 P?E(:LAIM114(a i WE P.I(al-I i OF IVAY
Figure 87. Bombay / FIKA edge,
New York City, NY.
Credit: NYC Department of Transportation
Figure 88. Haight Street parklet,
San Francisco, CA.
Credit: SF Bicycle Coalition / sfbike.org
IF
How do I design my site for comfort?
Seating is one of the most important design elements
for the parklet to function as a public space. Good seating
makes the site attractive to people passing by and provides
a reason to linger. According to San Francisco's guidelines,
parklets must have benches in order to designate them as
public spaces. The city has no design restrictions for seating,
and encourages unique parklets that reflect the character
of the community. As a result, San Francisco parklets feature
a wide variety of seating styles, from functional to artistic.
RE(.! AIK4IIV(a i IiE RI(ali i OF INAY 117
If a design employs removable furniture, it should be
durable, light, and easy to remove. However, it is advised
to include some built-in seating or other amenities. When
parklets are designed with no built-in seating, the parklet
looks very bare when seating is stored inside the adjacent
business (see figure 89).
Figure 89, Cafe Seventy8, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: San Francisco MTA Livable Streets
118 RECLAIMING THE RIGHT OF WAY
Additionally, if a parklet is located adjacent to a cafe
or restaurant, the tables and chairs should not be the same
style as the ones inside the business. This differentiation
visually designates the parklet as a separate entity from a
private business, and people will not confuse the parklet
with cafe seating. Figure 90 shows a San Francisco parklet
which is commonly criticized for creating an ambiguous
delineation between the private and public space.
There is an almost endless variety of creative ways to
provide seating with either built-in or movable furniture.
Movable furniture pieces are commonly used in parklets
across the country. Their portability makes it easy for
partnering businesses to carry them in every night, and they
are optimal for parklets with temporary permits because
Figure 90. Squat and Gobble parklet, San Francisco, CA.
they can be easily removed. Cities have incorporated Credit: Brian Kusler
everything from cheap folding lawn chairs to beanbags
as seating. However, possibly the most common types of
furniture are metallic, European cafe -style tables and chairs
from the company Fermob, which are light, durable, and
simple to clean.
1` 0 RE(.! AIK4IIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF 1NAY
How can I landscape my site?
Landscaping in parklets ranges from minimal decking to
extensive, garden -like environments. There is a variety of ways
to incorporate plants into the design, most commonly with
movable planters and boxes. In order to maximize space,
landscaping elements often serve dual purposes. One of the
most common ways is to have planters double as bollards,
in order to delineate the space and protect the site from
vehicles. Resilient, drought -tolerant plants are recommended
because water can weigh down the decking. Plants that
grow vertically instead of laterally are also advisable because
they can provide shade and take up less space.
Landscaping can also be the focus of the parklet.
Examples of this include the previously mentioned
Deeplet parklet in San Francisco. An other example of a
vegetation -focused parklet is in San Francisco's Tenderloin
neighborhood, installed in front of Farm:Table cafe (see
figure 97). The parklet is an extension of their rooftop garden.
Ogrydziak/Prillinger Architects describes the Farm:Table
parklet design in the following way:
"A lot of parklets are about cafe seating - this is
a landscape. Each clearing is an isolated pocket
with an immersive experience."38
Figure 93. Dinosaur landscaping at Deeplet parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Kimberly Conley
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1` 2 RECLAIMING THE RIGHT OF WAY
Figure 95. Drought -resistant plants, Freewheel Bike Shop, Figure 96. Planters doubling as bollards, Just for Fun parklet,
San Francisco, CA. San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Daveed Kapoor / utopia.org Credit: Trees on San Pedro Street Project
RECLAIMING* THE RIGW i OF WAY 123
4 J.
' 14 * r
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Figure 97. Landscaped focused parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Ogrydziak Prillinger Architects
1` 4 RECLAIMINGA i HE RIGAH i OF WAY
What amenities can I include in my site?
In addition to seating and landscaping features,
amenities such as tables and bicycle parking are commonly
found in parklet sites. Bicycle parking elements are most
commonly mounted to the top of the parklet platform.
However, this is not recommended when using pre -cast
concrete pavers because drilling into the paver degrades its
strength.
A bicycle corral can be installed in a parklet site when
there is ample space to do so. This maximizes the amount of
bicycle parking.
Additionally, parklets should feature shade during
the daytime and lighting at night. Locating a parklet near
street trees and street lamps can fulfill this need. Shade
can also be provided with umbrellas, and lighting can be
incorporated in a number of creative and environmentally
sensitive ways such as LED or solar. "There are many possible
improvements such as solar -powered lighting available,"
according to Riyad Ghannam, designer of parklets in New
York City and San Francisco. Umbrellas can be provided in
parklet sites to provide shade. However, because they can
be heavy to take in and out, they are not commonly found
in parklet sites.
Figure 98. Umbrellas, Sunset Triangle Plaza, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Elizabeth Daniels Photography
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Figure 99. Bike corral, Sunset Triangle Plaza, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: LADOT Bikeways
1` 6 HECLAIMINGA i WE RIGAH i OF WAY
Figure 100. Bicycle parking mounting to parklet platform,
Mojo Cafe, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Thomas Rogers
Figure 101. Vertical bicycle racks,
Four Barrel Cafe, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Bruce Damonte Photography
How do I design an active recreation parklet?
Parklets are commonly places of passive activity.
However, as small parks, they also provide a unique and
thus far unexplored opportunity to create spaces for
physical exercise. Given the cost of creating large-scale
parks in urban environments, as well as the public and
private costs associated with overweight and obesity, active
recreation parklets could provide a solution to help address
these challenges.
The proposed parklet on Spring Street in Los Angeles
will likely be the first active recreation parklet in the
nation. The parklet is designed using the same outdoor
fitness equipment found in Los Angeles' fitness zones (see
description in Chapter 1). Various types of outdoor fitness
equipment are available and can be installed at the
parklet. Equipment used in a parklet should be relatively
compact and intuitive for people to operate. An observed
study of users of fitness zones in Los Angeles found that the
least utilized equipment were the horizontal bars and leg
press.s9
The installation of fitness equipment in parklets affects
the type of material that can be used for the parklet
platform as well as the minimum equipment clearances.
RE(.! AIM114(a i WE RI(ali i OF INAY 127
The proposed Spring Street parklet uses stationary bicycles.
According to the design plans, the platform will be
constructed of pre -cast concrete pavers; thus, the exercise
machines will be bolted into the roadbed rather than on top
of the platform. The landscaping will extend from the seating
area into the exercise area in order to link these two areas
together. The bench in the middle will be situated slightly
away from the machine to allow for proper clearances.
Designers should check with equipment companies to
select the type of fitness machines and incorporate the
appropriate clearances into the site design.
1` 8 REC LAIMING THE HIGAIA i OF WAY
Downtown Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Berry and Linne
How are parklets marked as public space?
Parklets in San Francisco, Vancouver and New York City
feature explicit signage denoting their public nature.
In addition to signage, parklet design should denote
the parklet's public nature. This includes designing an open
edge from the sidewalk into the parklet and using distinctly
different seating from those of the adjacent businesses.
Figure 103. Required signage, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Noah Christman, SPUR
RE(:, AIMllq(a i WE RI(al-I i OF INKY 129
Figure 104. Pop-up cafe sign, New York City, NY.
Credit: Sam Smith
130 REC NIMIwca i HE RI(aW i OF 1Nl�l'
'Deepistan Natiolial Parldet t�
est. June 2011
www.deeptrouble-com/deeplet 1
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Figure 105. Personalized signage,
Deeplet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Madeline Brozen
Welcome to the'Deepistan National Parklet, a.k.a. the'Deeplet!
Please take care of it - it's for all of us to enjoy.
Parklets are -small parks reclaimed from all the public space that has
been given to cars. All parklets must be approved by the City and are
built and maintained at the owner's expense. This is the first parklet at
a private residence. -Like all others. it is open to the public.
The 'Deeplet is dedicated to the San Francisco League of Conservation
Voters, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, Livable City. Walk SF, and
all the great organizations making San Francisco a better place.
For links to these organizations, the 'Deeplet Facebook page,
information on parklets and more about this design see:
www.deeptrouble,com/deeplet
Figure 106. Personalized signage,
Deeplet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Madeline Brozen
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NEc:! AIK4114ca T SAE NicaiA T OF INKY 133
Figure 109. Public signage,
Parallel Park, Vancouver, BC.
Credit: Phil Kehres
Figure 110, Parallel Park, Vancouver, BC.
Credit: Phil Kehres
134 RECLAIMING i WE R.IGW i OF INKY
How much does it cost and where can I find support?
Businesses seeking to install a parklet can expect to
spend approximately $25,000 on a rectangular parklet
occupying two parking spaces. A cost estimate for the
planned Spring Street parklet in Los Angeles with the total
budget of $26,100 is provided in the table below. This is
a proposed project; therefore the amounts shown are
estimates.
According to our interviewees, businesses tend to
recoup their investment in a parklet in approximately five
years. While the $25,000 price tag may be intimidating for
a small business, previous examples show that costs can
be lowered through a variety of design decisions and in -
kind donations. Indeed, many parklets receive a variety
of donations that lower the costs for their sponsors. These
may include a designer providing pro-bono hours or using
volunteers to help during the installation phase. Some
businesses have utilized an online fundraising site that
allows the public to support creative projects, like parklets.
For instance, the Farm:Table Kickstarter campaign for a
parklet in San Francisco raised $15,000. Prospective parklets
in Chicago and Oakland have raised $5,600 and $10,000
respectively. Government support is also important. An
economic development and public realm improvement
grant from the Mayor's Office of Economic and Workforce
Development funded two parklets in the Noe Valley
neighborhood of San Francisco. Private foundations such as
the Wells Fargo Foundation in San Francisco, William Penn
Foundation in Philadelphia, and The Rosalinde and Arthur
Gilbert Foundation in Los Angeles have also contributed
critical resources in support of parklets.
Table 5. Costs for Various Parklets
Site I Cost In Kind Donations
New York City -
Design provided
Bombay Caf6
$24,000 total
pro Bono
and FIKA
a
None, all costs
Lola's Long Beach
$25,000
(including designer
fees) paid for by
Lola's
$11,000 ($10,000
All costs paid for
Philadelphia
materials + 10%
by William Penn
design fee)
Foundation
San Francisco
"Deeplet"
$20,000
None
Table 6. Parklet Cost Breakdown
Contingency
$2,300
Labor
$7, 600
Misc.
$945 Signage
$750
Permit
$1,000
Seating and
furnishings
$4,200
DecF
Struc
$4,":
RE(*, ain4ii4ca liE Nicaii T of I?VAY 135)
136 REC! AIMINGA i HE RIGM i OF WAY
How do I maintain my site?
Maintenance is extremely important for ensuring the
longevity and user-friendly nature of parklets. A parklet can
only be well used if it is well maintained. Every city requires
that a maintenance agreement is in place before issuing a
parklet permit.
According to the San Francisco parklet request for
proposals:
"If your project is selected, you will be required
to provide daily maintenance of the Parklet. This
maintenance includes watering any landscaping,
hosing down the surface, and removing any
graffiti. You will also be required to hose down the
area underneath the Parklet at least once a week.
The Department of Public Health may require pest
abatement."
Some parklets are maintained by the business
owner, while some employ support from the local business
improvement district. Employing business improvement
district staff can be advantageous as they are typically
responsible for cleaning in the area. In some places, such
as the Sunset Triangle Plaza in Los Angeles, both local
businesses and business improvement districts undertake
parklet maintenance. In Philadelphia, the University City
District shares maintenance responsibilities with the owner
of an adjacent cafe. The cafe is in charge of arranging
furniture every morning and taking it out by the end of
business hours, and is also responsible for cleaning chairs
and tables. The University City District is responsible for
parklet installation and dismantling during the appropriate
seasons of the year.
RE(:! AIKAIIV(a i WE RI(alA i OF INAY 137
In all maintenance agreements, the responsible
party or parties and their assigned tasks should be clearly
delineated. The maintenance agreement for the Sunset
Triangle Plaza outlines the following four categories for
maintenance services:40
• Site cleaning: A minimum of twice monthly
cleanings and on an `as needed' basis, removal
of dirt, litter, obstructions, trash to maintain the
site in a clean, neat, and good condition.
• Landscaping and planter maintenance:
Watering, weeding, trimming, and re -planting
in the event that a planter is damaged or
destroyed.
• Tables, chairs, umbrellas and trash cans: Daily
cleaning of debris, installing and removing
chairs, emptying trash receptacle, and
contacting appropriate parties if any amenities
must be replaced or repaired.
• Graffiti: Notifying the council district if graffiti
occurs and must be removed.
138 RE(:! AIII4IIV(a i WE RI(;Ii i OF INKY
Conclusion
Parklets symbolize the desire to create a more
communal, enjoyable, healthy, and vibrant public realm.
Transforming excess street space into a cost-effective, small
park can have a big impact. As John King, urban design
critic of the San Francisco Chronicle said:
"Some are more welcoming than others. Some
already show their age. The best strive to create
destinations, notjust seating. It's a design experiment
being conducted before our eyes, and it's not
going away.1141
Designing a successful parklet requires a variety
of considerations. The site must first be selected by
identifying the ideal location and community partner.
After site selection, conceptual designs should consider
the surrounding land uses, size and shape of the site, and
desired duration of the installation.
The parklet base, including sub -structure and platform,
should be selected based on cost, aesthetic appearance,
and durability considerations. From the platform up, the rest
of the parklet is designed for safety, comfort, and to provide
an enjoyable public space to socialize, rest, or exercise.
There are a range of design options available for all of
these categories. A parklet sponsor should plan to spend
approximately $25,000 on a parklet site occupying two
parallel parking spaces. These funds can be raised using a
variety of donations, grants, and in -kind materials.
As more parklets are proposed and permitted, the
designs are becoming more creative and distinctive.
Designers must understand a variety of considerations when
working with the community partner to create a welcoming,
well -used, and unique private space in the right-of-way.
Overall, these installations are re -imagining small portions of
the urban landscape from ordinary car -storage spaces into
beautiful public space assets for all to enjoy.
Footnotes
30. New York City Department of Transportation. (2012). "Curbside
Public Seating Sponsored by Local Businesses Evaluation Report,"
accessed July 18, 2012, http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/
curbside-seating_pilot-evaluation.pdf.," New York City.
31. Deepistan National Parklet. Deeplet parklet. (2012). Accessed
July 18, 2012, www.deeplet.org.
32. Choi, J. (2012, May 9). Owner, Morning Lights Cafe. (I. Brookvoer,
Interviewer)
33. Dittus, P. (2012, March 15). Architect. (N. LaMontage, Interviewer)
34. Actual Cafe (201 1) "Parklet Proposal."
35. Ghannam, R. (2012, April 1). Principal, RG Architecture. (N.
LaMontage, Interviewer)
36. Wilcox, A. (2012). "Parks & Recreation," The Bold Italic, accessed
July 18, . (2012,). http://www.thebolditalic.com/abbywilcox/stories/1585-
parks-and-recreation.
37. King, J. (December 29, 2011). "S.F. Parklets: A Little Tour parklets:
a little tour of a major trend," San Francisco Chronicle, accessed July 19,
2012, http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/place/article/S-F-parklets-a-little-
tour-of-a-major-trend-2430136.php.
38. Friends of the Farm:Table. (2012). "A Parklet at Farm:Table,"
campaign accessed July 18, (2012, ).http://www.kickstarter.com/
projects/parklet/help-us-build-this-parklet.
RE(:.AIM114ca i IAE RI(al-I i OF INKY 139
39. Cohen, D., et al.Marsh, T., Williamson, S., Golinelli, D., &
McKenzie, T. (2012). "Impact and Cost-effectiveness of Family Fitness
Zones: A Natural Experiment in Urban Public Parks," Health & Place 18(1):
39-45.: 39-45.
40. City of Los Angeles, Streets for People (S4P) Program. (2012).
"Community Partnership Agreement."
41. King, J. (December 29, 2011). "S.F. Parklets: A little tour of a Major
Trend," San Francisco Chronicle, accessed July 19, 2012, http://www.
sfgate.com/bayarea/place/article/S-F-parklets-a-little-tour-of-a-major-
trend-2430136.php.King, John "S.F parklets: a little tour of a major trend,"
San Francisco Chronicle, December 29, 2011.
RE(.! AIM114(a i WE RI(al-I i OF INAY 141
Introduction
As already discussed, parklets can take advantage
of underutilized and residual road space and convert it
into a meaningful open space for recreation and physical
activity. Most US cities, and certainly Los Angeles, have an
abundance of such spaces that can be easily converted
into parklets. As such, this chapter shows a selected set
of sites around Los Angeles that have the potential for
dramatic change through low cost transformations. The
sites were selected to demonstrate a variety of forms and
potential uses. The computer simulations that follow illustrate
the application of principles and concepts described
throughout this toolkit.
142 RECLAIMINGA i WE RIGAH i OF WAY
Site 1: Olympic Boulevard and Schumacher Drive
"Residential Parklet"
Existing Conditions. -
Intersection of commercial
boulevard and residential
neighborhood,
• Overly wide intersection,
• Residual space at the center
of the intersection.
Potential Improvements. -
Connecting residual space
at the center of intersection
to adjacent sidewalk,
• Traffic calming,
• Provide space for active
recreation in residential Figure 111. Concept for "residential parklet," Los Angeles, CA.
area. Credit: India Brookover/ Google Maps
Site 2: Alvarado Boulevard and 6th Street
"Street Vending Parklet"
Existing Conditions
• Extremely narrow sidewalk,
• High pedestrian volumes,
• Only street vending district in
Los Angeles,
• Area with high transit
ridership.
Potential Improvements. -
Street vending oriented
parklet allowing more
space for pedestrians on
sidewalk,
• Can be combined with
bus stop to provide more
comfortable space for
waiting transit passengers.
RE(:LAIM114(a i IAE RI(al-I i OF INAY 143
Figure 112. Concept for "street vending parklet," Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Madeline Brozen/Google Maps
144 RE(,�LAIMiwca T liE Nicaii T of INAY
Site 3: Main Street between 4th and 5th Streets, Downtown Los Angeles
"Skid Row Revitalization Parklet"
Existing Conditions. -
Transitional area between -
revitalized Spring Street
and Skid Row, -
• Newly installed bike lane,
providing buffer between
pedestrians and moving
vehicles.
Potential Improvements.-
0 Continue streetscape
upgrading and
revitalization towards Skid
Row,
• Connect with other grass-
roots efforts like urban
gardening in the area,
• Install active recreation
parklet to provide more
opportunities for Skid Row
residents.
Figure 113. Concept for "Skid Row revitalization parklet," Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: India Brookover/Google Maps
Site 4: Hoover Street and Myra Avenue
"School Proximate Parklet"
Existing Conditions:
• Large but underutilized pedestrian
landing,
• Five schools within a one mile radius,
• Common pedestrian route between
transit stops and Silver Lake and
Echo Park neighborhoods,
• Skewed intersection that is
hazardous to pedestrians.
Potential Improvements:
• Active recreation parklet geared
toward neighborhood children,
• Possible expansion into nearby
surface parking lot,
• Possible site for public art installation,
• Redesign and possible narrowing of
intersection road space.
RE(.! ain4iivca liE Nicaii T of wAv 145
N yeS''!a
0 0-. A-Ocr 1.
Figure 114. Concept for "school proximate parklet," Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: India Brookover/Google Maps
L
146 RE(:! AIK4IIV(a i WE RI(;Ii i OF 1NAY
Site 5: 2nd Street and Alameda Avenue
"Culturally Significant Parklet"
Existing Conditions. -
Located between downtown Los Angeles'
Arts District and Little Tokyo,
• Traffic triangle/pedestrian refuge,
• Cars make right turns without stopping, posing
a danger to pedestrians.
Potential Improvements:
• Connect traffic triangle to adjacent sidewalk
for pedestrian safety,
• Culturally brand the area and create a sense
of place with design inspired by neighborhood
history,
• Involve active neighborhood organization,
Little Tokyo Service Center.
Figure 115. Concept for "culturally significant parklet," Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: India Brookover/Google Maps
0 F?E(:. AIM114(a i IAE RI(al-I i OF INAY 147
Site 6: Traction Avenue, south of 3rd Street
"LAs Diagonal Parklet"
Existing Conditions.-
0 Diagonal parking spaces,
• Commercial corridor with mixed -use housing, including artists' lofts,
• Recent increase in residents,42
• Proximity to Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-ARC),
• Limited amount of open space in neighborhood.
Potential Opportunity:
• Deep parklet, utilizing space created from underutilized diagonal
parking spaces,
• Design competition for SCI-ARC students,
• Increase open space in community,
• Potential active recreation parklet for SCI-ARC students, faculty, and
residents,
• Economic development potential by creating space for people to
linger and enjoy the neighborhood.
Figure 116. Concept for "LA's diagonal parklet."
Credit: India Brookover/Google Maps
148 HECLAIMINGA i WE RIGHT OF WAY
k
Figure 117. Rendering of "LA's diagonal parklet."
Credit: India Brookover
Site 7: Cesar Chavez Avenue and Grand Avenue
"Garden Space Parklet" and/or `Active Recreation Parklet
Existing Conditions.-
0 Traffic triangle,
• Redundant travel lane,
• Lack of open space and
fresh food in adjacent
area,
• High School for the
Performing Arts is located
across the street,
• High percentage of
elderly residents in the
neighborhood43
• Highly traveled pedestrian
intersection.
REC AIMING' i HE RIGW i OF WAY 149
Figure 118. Concept for parklets at Cesar Chavez Ave. and Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: India Brookover/Google Maps
15)0 RECLAIMING THE RIGA i i OF WAY
Potential Opportunity for
`Active Recreation Parklet"
• Convert redundant travel
lane, closing street with
planters, as used at the
Sunset Triangle Plaza,
• Allow pedestrians and
cyclists to safely travel
through area without
automobile traffic,
• Install outdoor exercise
equipment to facilitate
physical activity for high
school students and
seniors,
• Install tables for social
interaction.
rFmgu
ire 119. Rendering of "active recreation parklet," Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Veena Samartha
ar AMERWnrM ajhi- AL
;bp-- iF -MV&
IQ V
&0,
Potential Opportunity for
"Garden Space Parklet"
• Convert redundant travel
lane, closing street with
planters, as used at the
Sunset Triangle Plaza,
• Install raised beds for
community gardening,
• Involve students from
high school as "garden
stewards" to learn about
urban agriculture,
• Create a safe pedestrian
area, creating an
opportunity for moderate
physical activity for seniors.
RECLAIMING THE RIGIA i OF WAY 151
le Figure 120. Rendering of "garden space paarkkl Figureet" Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: India Brookover IN
1 W*41. 4
` b4hL
15)2 RE(:, AIR4114(a i WE RI(ali i OF 1NAY
Footnotes
42. Downtown population increased from 35,884 people in 2000 to
51,329 people in 2010 (U.S census).
43. Twenty-seven percent of residents in census tract are over 65
years of age compared to 10 percent in the City of Los Angeles (2010
Census).
Appendix A: Los Angeles Bike Corral Maintenance Agreement
Maintenance Aclreement
On -Street Bicycle Parking Facility
Bicycle Corral
Marne and Location
The City of Los Angeles will install an on street bicycle parking facility (Bicycle Corral) at name
andiccairon. The bicycle corral will be located in the parking stall at name and location.
The business owner at name and location the owners) at said property enter into an
agreement with the City to maintain the Bicycle Corral and any associated maintenance
in adjacent parking spaces required due to the installation of the Bicycle Corral to City
standards.
To facilitate the installation of the Bicycle Corral, it is agreed that:
t. The Bicycle Corral and adjacent impacted parking spaceswill he swept and
otherwise cleared of all debris at least once perweek by Business Owner, Name
andLocaflon. All trash will be removed from the facility and disposed of in a
proper manner-
2- The Bicycle Corral and associated equipment will be kept free of graffiti and
stickers by Business Owner, Name and Location-
3- Business Owner, Name and Location Matt, will regularly maintain any
landscaping or plantings added to the facility design-
4- The Bicycle Corral will be visually inspected by Business Owner, Business Name
and Locaffon at least once a week for trash, graffiti. proper maintenance of the
bicycle parking equipment, landscaping and overall appearance of the facility.
The City will regularly inspect the site to determine that Business Owner, owner
of Business Name is properly maintaining the site.
5. Should errant motorists, vandalism, or neglect damage the site the City can
choose to replace the equipment or remove the Bicycle Corral in its entirety. If
funding is not available to replace the equipment or if it is determined the location
is underutilized for the purpose of parking bicycles the City reserves the right to
remove the Bicycle Corral.
8. Should citizen complaints be received by the City regarding the Bicycle Corral,
the following steps will be taken to resolve concems by the public:
a. The City will complete afield inspection of the site and a report will be filed
that reviews the condition of the Bicycle Corral to address the concerns of
citizen(s).
b. If the level of maintenance of the Bicycle Corral is deemed unacceptable
by the inspector of the site, Business Owner, Name and Location the will
be notified in writing of actions needed to be taken to bring the
maintenance of the site to the standard required by the City.
RECLAIMING THE RIGW i OF WAY 153
c_ Response to the complaint may result in the following action(s) by the
City_
I. No action;
ii. Awarning : or
iii. Revocation of this permit and removal of the Bicycle Corral by the
City.
7. Any changes upgrades or enhancements proposed by Business Owner, owner of
Business Name, must be approved, in writing, by the City prior to any change in
the design, appearance or equipment. Failure to obtain the City's permission in
writing for any changes, upgrades or enhancements could result in revocation of
this permit and removal of the Bicycle Corral by the City.
S. Should the business or property owner change hands or be transferred, the City
will retain the right to remove the Bicycle Corral unless the new business or
property owner enters into a new agreement with the City.
9. The City reserves the right to remove the Bicycle Corral at any time and to
revoke this agreement_
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this agreement by the
authorized representatives as of the dates indicted below:
BUSINESS NAME:
By: Date:
Svsiness Owner, Owner, Suwness Name
City of Los Angeles;
CITY OF LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION:
By:
Amir Sedadi, General Manager
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Date:
By: Date:
Deputy, City Attorney
V54 RECLAIMINGA THE RIGW i OF INAY
Appendix B.: Interview Questions for City Staff
Design/Development:
• Describe the history of the program. Where did
the initial idea come from and how it came to be
as it is today?
• Please describe your program goals. Do you
have any written documentation on these goals?
• What are typical sites that you are using for
parklets? How do you select sites for parklets? Are
there established selection criteria? What are the
common surrounding land uses? Who owns the
land, or is it leased temporarily?
• Have parklets been installed? If yes, how many
and what is their typical size? Does the city plan
to allow more parklets to be installed?
• Are there landscaping/design features common
to all the parklets? If yes, of what kind? Also, if yes,
are these features required?
• Overall, what are the functions of the parklets?
Who are the primary users?
• Do you consider parklets as public spaces? If so,
how do you denote this to the public? Are there
restrictions to their access and use?
Implementation/Maintenance
• How is design and construction of the parklets
funded?
• Which departments are involved in parklet
regulation and development and what are
their roles? Has the city issued new ordinances
or policies for the development and regulation
of the parklets or are you using existing ones?
• Is a permit required? If so, who is eligible to
apply for a permit and how much does it cost?
• Is the public involved in the parklet development
process?
• How are the parklets maintained? Who is in
charge of their maintenance? Is there an
agreement about their maintenance which
you can share?
• How does the city handle liability concerns
about the parklets? Who must hold the
insurance and how much? Have you had any
liability issues to date?
Evaluation
• Do you have a process for evaluating the
parklets post -installation? If so, what are you
evaluating? Do you collect data both before
and after installation?
• What have been the impacts of the parklet
program? [Le. increased revenue at nearby
businesses, etc.]
• After installation, have you seen any relationship
between pedestrian traffic volumes in the area
and parklet usage?
• What have been the challenges associated
with this program?
• What have been notable successes and
failures?
• What are the lessons learned?
RE(',L ►IMllq(a iiE Nicaii T of INAY 1155)
Follow-up
• Do you have any other additional insights or
recommendations for further information?
• Do you have high resolution photos highlighting
the parklet projects?
• If we want to seek more details at a project
site level, which projects do you recommend
we use as case studies and whom should we
speak with for information about parklet design,
landscaping, and other project -level details?
• Are you aware of other similar programs in
other cities across the nation or the world?
1,56 RECLAIMING THE RIGIi i OF INKY
Appendix C: Interview Questions for Businesses
1. Why did your business support a parklet?
2. Did the project face any obstacles from your
municipality/city?
3. Did you cover the insurance for the parklet
project?
4. Challenges and successes about few different
elements of the parklet.
5. Please share any lessons learned regarding the
following:
A. Location and size
B. Design elements such as
lighting, seating, signage etc
C. Signage
6. What was your process for maintenance? Who
conducted the maintenance and who often?
Who paid for it?
7. Did the parklet help attract new customers? Did
you find the parklet profitable/worth it?
8. Do you have any other thoughts that could help
other businesses in other cities interested in having
a parklet next to their establishment?
9. Please describe any lessons learned regarding
the design and location of the parklet.
Appendix D: Interview Questions for Parklet Designers
Please describe the follow site characteristics of the
parklet:
A. Function (active recreation, quiet
relaxation, sidewalk dining, etc.)
B. Primary users
C. Surrounding land uses
D. Prior use of space (parking space,
median, traffic triangle, etc.)
E. Size
F. Duration of installation
2. Explain the design and its conception. In what way did
the site influence the design? What element have you
used to designate and differentiate the parklet from
the surrounding area?
3. What design elements were important to include and
why?
4. Describe the following landscaping and storm water
management elements:
A. Trees, planters and other
landscaping
B. Types of ground cover
C. Integration of best management
practices for managing water
sustainability
D. Shade
RE(:. AIM114ca IAE Nicaii T of INAY 157
5. Explain how you designed the project to maximize
safety and comfort for users? This includes safety from
crime, safety from traffic, buffer from air pollution and
safety with equipment and other on -site amenities)
6. How does the project convey that the parklet is open
to the public?
7. How much did the project cost and what were the
funding sources?
8. How well is the site being used? Do you know of any
post -installation evaluation efforts? If yes, what are the
findings?
9. If you were to design the parklet again, what would you
do differently?
10. Do you have any other recommendations and lessons
learned regarding planning, financing, design, or other
items that you care to share with other designers?
1.58 RE(:! AIII4IIV(a i liE RI(ali i OF INKY
Appendix E: Interview References
Akhiam, L. (2012, April 2). Complete Streets Coordinator, Pacoima Beautiful.
(M. Brozen, Interviewer)
Ben -Amos, A. (2012, February 20). Planner, Mayor's Office of Transportation and Utilities, City of Philadelphia.
(N. LaMontagne, Interviewer)
Bohn, M. (2012, May 31). Principal, Studio 1 1 1 Architects.
(M. Brozen, Interviewer)
Choi, J. (2012, May 9). Owner, Morning Lights Cafe.
(I. Brookover, Interviewer)
Clementi, F. (2012, April 1). Principal, Rios Clementi Hale Studio.
(M. Brozen, Interviewer)
Curnyn, S. (2012, June 27). Project Architect, Matarozzi Pelsinger Builders.
(M. Brozen, Interviewer)
Dingle, J. (2012, May 5). Principal, DIGSAU.
(V. Snehansh, Interviewer)
Dittus, P. (2012, March 15). Architect.
(N. LaMontagne, Interviewer)
Ghannam, R. (2012, April 1). Principal, RG Architecture.
(N. LaMontagne, Interviewer)
RE(:. Nin4ii4ca IAE NicaiA T of wAY 159
Janoff, E. (2012, February 28). City Planner, Office of Planning and Sustainability, NYC Department of Transportation.
(M. Brozen, Interviewer)
Jawa, A. (2012, May 1). Homeowner.
(V. Snehansh, Interviewer)
Kassay, K. (2012, February 29). City Planner, City of Vancouver.
(N. LaMontagne, Interviewer)
Miller, B. (2012, March 15). Project Manager, City of Oakland Planning Department.
(M. Brozen, Interviewer)
Ocanas, M. (2012, April 15). Policy Analyst, LA County Department of Public Health.
(M. Brozen, Interviewer)
Pittman, B. (2012, February 29). Right-of-way Coordinator, Department of Public Works,City of Long Beach.
(V. Snehansh, Interviewer)
Powers, A. (2012, March 20). City Planner, Pavement to Parks Program, San Francisco City Planning Department.
(M. Brozen, Interviewer)
Rose, O. (2012, March 1). Montreal Urban Ecology Centre, City of Montreal.
(N. LaMontagne, Interviewer)
EXHIBIT A
178.02 - Sidewalk Cafes and Parklets
(A) Public rights -of -way are designed for free and unobstructed travel. However, the City of Fayetteville
recognizes that certain developed and developing areas in a traditional town form are unique and that
certain public amenities are not inconsistent with the underlying dedication for the public right-of-way,
as long as they do not impede travel or interfere with the public safety. This ordinance is designed to
encourage pedestrian activity and make the urban environment more attractive.
(B) Sidewalk Cafes: The City may issue a permit allowing a sidewalk cafe on part of a specified sidewalk if
the following requirements are met:
(1) The proposed sidewalk cafe shall not unduly impact or impede the public's ability to travel
upon or use the sidewalk and any other affected public right-of-way. If at any time the sidewalk
cafe is determined by the City to impede travel or interfere with public safety, the City may
require that the sidewalk cafe be removed or modified.
(2) Any necessary costs to relocate a utility or widen the existing sidewalk to accommodate the
proposed sidewalk cafe shall be paid by the sidewalk cafe applicant.
(3) The sidewalk cafe applicant may be required to post a surety bond or letter of credit
sufficient to cover the cost of removing the sidewalk cafe if necessary for the city or utility
company to access pipes, lines, or other facilities.
(4) The sidewalk cafe applicant must consent that the city or a utility company may remove,
without liability or compensation, part or all of the sidewalk cafe, if necessary, to access a utility
easement, facility, or improvement.
(5) Applicants requesting a permit must provide a detailed site plan and written description
illustrating the type, location and dimensions of all furniture to be placed in the public right-of-
way. Sidewalk cafes may not be enclosed by fixed walls or other permanent structures.
(6) Sidewalk cafes must be open to the air, except that an awning or canopy conforming to
requirements established by the Unified Development Code and Building Code may be
constructed over the sidewalk cafe. In order to provide sufficient pedestrian clearance,
umbrellas must have 7 feet of free and clear space from the sidewalk surface to the lower edge
of the umbrella.
(7) Property shall be kept clean and free of refuse with no permanent trash containers placed on
the premises.
(8) All furnishings and fixtures must be of a temporary nature and shall be removed from the
public right-of-way and stored inside during non -operational times.
(9) For sidewalk cafes using city right-of-way for operation, there shall be a minimum of 5 feet or
50% of the total sidewalk width for clearance, whichever is greater, to provide adequate and
unobstructed pedestrian movement.
(10) One A -frame sandwich/menu board is permitted within the sidewalk cafe's border during
hours of operation, subject to the applicable regulations in Ch. 174: Signs for the same.
(11) The applicant shall notify adjoining property owners.
(12) Each application for a sidewalk cafe permit shall be accompanied by a $100.00 permit
review and processing fee.
(C) Parklets: The City may issue a permit allowing a parklet in paid public parking spaces for the
exclusive use of an adjacent business.
(1) Definition. A parklet is a temporary platform located on a right -of way and intended to
provide additional space for use by an adjacent business and its patrons.
(2) The City may issue a permit for a parklet if the following requirements are met:
(a) The proposed parklet shall be limited to no more than three (3) parking spaces
directly adjacent to the applicant's business and located at least one parking space from
a corner, intersections and other parklets.
(b) Applicants requesting a permit shall provide a detailed site plan and written
description illustrating the type, location and dimensions of the parklet elements to be
placed in the public right-of-way.
(c) The applicant shall pay the parking fees established in Chapter 72 Parking
Regulations, including any adjustments or amendments thereto.
(d) The applicant shall provide notice to adjoining property owners.
(e) Utility access. The applicant shall consent that the parklet will not inhibit access to,
maintenance or operation of any public utility. If the parklet is located over a utility
main or any appurtenances, the establishment shall remove the parklet to
accommodate any work on utilities. The applicant shall also consent that the city or any
utility company may remove, without liability or compensation, part or all the parklet if
necessary to access a utility easement, facility or improvement
(f) Alcohol. The establishment shall agree to comply with all state and local laws
regarding the consumption, sale, and serving of alcoholic beverages.
(g) Conditions of parklet. The establishment shall agree to maintain all elements of the
parklet in good condition. Elements experiencing routine wear and tear shall be
repaired or placed. Parklet must be free of debris, grime, and graffiti. All parklet
vegetation must be watered and maintained. Amplified music is prohibited in the
parklet.
(h) Inspections. The establishment shall agree to periodic inspections by city staff for
compliance with all regulations.
(i) One A -frame sandwich/menu board is permitted within the public sidewalk adjacent
to the parklet during the applicant's regular hours of operation, subject to the applicable
regulations in Ch. 174: Signs for the same. Each establishment can place only one sign in
the right of way.
(j) Each application for a parklet permit shall be accompanied by a $100.00 permit
review and processing fee.
(k) Minimum Design Standards. The establishment shall agree to comply with the
Minimum design standards set forth below.
(1) Corner locations. The proposed parklet site shall be located at least one
parking spot from a corner or protected by a bollard, sidewalk bulb -out, or other
similar feature, if located at the corner.
(11) Speed limit. Parklets are permitted where the posted speed limit is 30 mph
or less. Streets with higher speed limits may be considered on a case -by -case
basis may be considered and approved by the City Engineer.
(III) Street slope. Parklets must be situated on streets with a running slope
(grade) of five percent or less or provide a level surface to meet this grade.
(IV) Buffers & Safety Elements. Parklets shall be required to have a buffer to
protect users from street traffic. Buffers can be either reflective tape, planters,
durable seating, temporary railing/edging, or other visible, protective edging as
approved by staff in the application process. Parklets shall be required to have
soft hit posts and wheel stops. Parklets must be situated a minimum of 2 feet
from the nearest edge of traveled way. Planters used as edging features are
required to be large and durable.
(V) Utilities. Parklets shall not be allowed in front of a fire hydrant, or over a
manhole, public utility valve, or cover. Curb and roadside drainage shall not be
impeded by the parklet. If decking is being constructed, the decking should
allow for easy access underneath and curbside drainage shall not be impeded. A
gap of 6 inches should be maintained between the body of the deck and the
asphalt to facilitate the movement of water. The proposed parklet shall not
unduly impact or impede the public's ability to travel upon or use the public
right-of-way. If at any time the parklet is determined by the City to impede
travel or interfere with public safety, the City may require that the parklet be
removed or modified.
(VI) Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance. All elements of Parklets shall be
constructed and/or installed to conform to the applicable provisions, rules,
regulations, and guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
(VII) Design for easy removal. Parklets are temporary in nature and must be
designed for easy removal. All removable furniture must be locked or stowed
each night.
(VIII) Parklet decking. Parklet decking must be flush with the curb and may not
have more than %2 inch gap from the curb. If decking is installed, a minimum 36
inch ADA accessible entryway to the parklet must be maintained. Platforms shall
not exceed a 2% cross slope. Deck installation shall not damage the sidewalk,
street, curb, street trees or any aspect of the public right-of-way. Due to the
temporary nature of the parklet, any proposed decking shall not be allowed to
be bolted into the asphalt and must include semi -permanent materials installed
in a way that does not require reconfiguring the roadway or pouring concrete.
(IX) Edging. All proposed edging shall be visually permeable. Due to the
temporary nature of the parklets, all edging or railing shall not be bolted to the
asphalt. The temporary railing shall be durable enough to stand on its own and
should have a sturdy base.
(X) Visual design. Parklet designs must maintain a visual connection to the street
and not obstruct sight lines to existing businesses or roadway signage. While not
visible from the sidewalk, the parklet's back is highly visible from across the
street. Large blank walls are discouraged. No signage may be painted on the
parklet wall.
(XI) Materials. Materials should be high quality, durable, waterproof, and
capable of withstanding heavy use and exposure to the elements. Loose
particles such as sand or loose stone are not permitted within the parklet area.
All furniture must be designed for outdoor use. Sofas as parklet furniture is
prohibited. All materials and seating or table constructions and configurations
are subject to inspection and require a permit at the discretion of City staff.
(XII) Open air. Parklets may not be enclosed by walls or permanent structures.
Parklets must be open to the air, except that a removable, temporary, awning,
canopy, or umbrella, may be placed or constructed over the parklet. In order to
provide sufficient pedestrian clearance, awnings, canopies and umbrellas shall
have 7 feet of free and clear space from the road surface to the lower edge of
the umbrella, awning or canopy. Fixed permanent roofing is not allowed.
(3) Revocation of Parklet Permit. A permit may be revoked by the city upon a finding that the
establishment has violated any terms of the permit; that the parklet causes a health/safety risk;
that a city ordinance or state or federal law has been violated; the establishment or the parklet
is not being adequately maintained; that the city has initiated an infrastructure improvement
project in the parking space or public right of way; or upon a majority vote of the City Council.
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RE(.'.*.l AIMINCA"THE R1(3`1dT-()F-VVA)":
A TOO LKIi FOR Till llNG AMID 1N4PLEN4EN i INC3 PAR KLE i S
UCLA Complete Streets Initiative
Luskin School of Public Affairs
September 2012
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This report was made possible by the generous support of
The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation.
AUTHORS
Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, Associate Dean, Professor
UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs;
UCLA Department of Urban Planning
Madeline Brozen, Program Manager
Complete Streets Initiative
UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
Colleen Callahan, Deputy Director
Luskin Center for Innovation
UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
India Brookover, Graduate Student
UCLA Department of Urban Planning
Neal LaMontagne, Graduate Student
UCLA Department of Urban Planning
Veena Snehansh, Graduate Student
UCLA Department of Urban Planning
ABOUT THE COMPLETE STREETS INITIATIVE
The Complete Streets Initiative is a joint effort of the Lewis
Center for Regional Policy Studies, the Luskin Center for
Innovation, and the Institute of Transportation Studies in the
UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. The Initiative's mission
is to conduct research, educate students, and engage
the public on the many critical and often competing roles
streets play in creating a more vibrant, productive, and
sustainable California.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris
is the associate dean of the Luskin
School of Public Affairs and a professor
in the Department of Urban Planning
at UCLA. Her research focuses on
the public environment of the city, its
physical representation, aesthetics,
social meaning, and impact on the
urban resident. Her books include Urban
Design Downtown: Poetics and Politics
of Form (1998), Jobs and Economic
Development in Minority Communities
(2006), Sidewalks: Conflict and
Negotiation over Public Space (2009),
and Companion to Urban Design (2011).
Madeline Brozen is the
program manager of the UCLA
Complete Streets Initiative at the Luskin
School of Public Affairs. Her research
interests include spatial analysis,
equity, transportation, and innovative
streetscape design. She holds a M.A in
Urban Planning from UCLA and a B.S in
Urban Studies from the University of New
Orleans.
PP
Colleen Callahan is
deputy director of the UCLA Luskin
Center for Innovation. Her research
interests include the intersection of
transportation policy and public health,
particularly in the area of air quality
policy. She holds a M.A. in Urban
Planning from UCLA and a B.A. in
Urban and Environmental Policy from
Occidental College.
iABLE OF CX)NTENTS
1. Introduction
Purpose of this Toolkit
Scope
Methodology
Parklet Basics
Need and Rationale
Parklet Precedents
2. Parklets in Los Angeles
Park(ing) Day LA
Streets for People
Bike Corrals
Fitness Zones
Other Key Precedents
Current Efforts and City Support
2
2
4
5
7
8
17
18
20
23
25
27
30
3. PROGRAM CASE STUDIES
Introduction
San Francisco
Montreal
New York City
Vancouver
Philadelphia
Long Beach
Oakland
Policy Recommendations
Conclusion
W
35
36
44
48
54
59
64
67
72
73
4. DESIGN GUIDANCE 77 5. VISIONS FOR FUTURE PARKLETS 140
Introduction
How do I select a site?
How do I design a site?
What are land use considerations?
What are design considerations
based on shape and size?
What are considerations based on the duration of the
installation?
How do I construct the parklet base?
How do I design my site for safety?
How do I design my site for comfort?
How can I landscape my site?
What amenities can I include in my site?
How do I design an active recreation parklet?
How are parklets marked as public space?
How much does it cost and where can I find support?
How do I maintain my site?
Conclusion
77
78
80
81
97
109
114
117
120
124
127
129
134
136
138
Site 1: "Residential parklet"
142
Site 2: "Street vending parklet"
143
Site 3: "Skid Row revitalization parklet"
144
Site 4: "School proximate parklet"
145
Site 5: "Culturally significant parklet"
147
Site 6: "LAs diagonal parklet"
148
Site 7: "Garden space parklet" and/or
`Active recreation parklet
149
6. APPENDIX 153
A: Los Angeles Bike Corral Maintenance Agreement 153
B: Interview Questions for City Staff 154
C: Interview Questions for Businesses 156
D: Interview Questions for Parklet Designers 157
E: Interview References 158
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. Summary and Comparison of Parklet Programs....................................74
Table 2. Parklet Typologies...........................................................................80
Table 3. Summary of Design Guidelines for Parklets in Different Cities..................87
Table 4. Parklet Traffic Safety Guidelines in Different Cities.................................114
Table 5. Costs for Various Parklets................................................................ 134
Table 6. Parklet Cost Breakdown...................................................................135
LIST OF ILLUSTRAT IONS
Fig. 1. Rendering of 40th Street, Oakland, CA. Fig. 11. People at Park(ing) Day, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Andrea Gaffney and Justin Viglianti 1 Credit: Pacoima Beautiful
Fig, 2. Parklet use on Divisadero Street, San Francisco, CA
Credit: Jeremy Shaw
Fig, 3. Rendering for Spring Street Parklet, Los Angeles, CA
Credit: Berry and Linne
Fig, 4. Park(ing) Day, Seattle, WA.
Credit: Rob Ketcherside
Fig, 5. Park(ing) Day Bratislava, Slovakia.
Credit: Mark Archimera
Fig, 6. Castro Commons, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Frank Chan, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition
Fig, 7. Herald Square, New York City, CA.
Credit: Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris
Fig, 8. Painted intersection, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Michelle Selvans
Fig, 9. Chair "bombing," Brooklyn, NY.
Credit: Aurash Khawarzad
Fig. 12. Park(ing) Day, Los Angeles, CA.
3 Credit: Pacoima Beautiful
Fig. 13. Sunset Triangle Plaza, Los Angeles, CA.
6 Credit: Neal LaMontagne
Fig. 14. Plan view rendering, Sunset Triangle Plaza,
9 Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Rios Clementi Hale Studios
11 Fig. 15. Sunset Triangle Plaza design,
Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Neal LaMontagne
11
Fig. 16. Bike corral, Portland, OR.
Credit: Chris Brunn
12
Fig. 17. Bike corral, Highland Park, CA.
Credit: LADOT Bikeways
14
Fig. 18. Fitness Zone, South Los Angeles, CA.
14 Credit: Christine Trang
irA
WE
21
22
22
z1
z1
25
Fig, 10. CicLAvia, Los Angeles, CA. Fig. 19. Fitness Zone equipment, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Waltarrrrr 15 Credit: Office of Council member Jose Huizar 26
Figs.20and21. Before and after: Pico Blvd. and Hoover St.,
Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative 28
Figs.22and23. Before and after: Pico Blvd. and Normandie Ave.,
Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative 29
Fig. 24. Rendering of Spring Street parklet, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Berry and Linne
Fig. 25. Plan view of Spring Street parklet, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Tony Lopez
Fig. 26. Rendering of El Serrano parklet, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Kelli Rudnick
Fig. 27. Rendering of York Boulevard parklet, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Kelli Rudnick
Fig, 28. Pop up cafe, New York City, NY.
Credit: NYC Department of Transportation
Fig, 29. Castro Commons, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Jamison Wieser
Fig. 30. "Parkmobile" Yerba Buena district, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Madeline Brozen
Fig, 31. Cafe Abir, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Daveed Kapoor / utopiad.org
Fig. 32. Devil's Teeth parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: San Francisco Pavement to Parks
31
31
32
32
34
IN
39
41
41
Fig. 33. Powell Street Promenade, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: SFMTA Livable Streets Division 42
Fig. 34. Planters, Powell Street Promenade, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: SFMTA Livable Streets Division 42
Fig. 35. Terrasse, Montreal, Quebec.
Credit: Neal LaMontagne
Fig. 36. Terrasse, Montreal, Quebec.
Credit: Laurence Parent
Fig. 37. Terrasse, Montreal, Quebec.
Credit: Alain Quevillon
Fig. 38. FI KA, New York City, NY.
Credit: Sam Smith
Fig. 39. Traditional sidewalk cafe seating, New York City, NY.
Credit: Ted Jensen
Fig. 40. Pop-up cafe locations, New York City, NY.
Credit: NYC Department of Transportation
Fig, 41. Flexible bollard and wheel stop, New York City, NY.
Credit: NYC Department of Transportation
Fig, 42. Car free day, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Credit: Christian Paul
Fig. 43. Parallel Park, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Credit: VIVA Vancouver
Fig. 44. Parklet, Philadelphia, PA.
Credit: Philly Bike Coalition
43
45
111
EN
51
52
54
56
59
Fig. 45. Baltimore Avenue, Philadelphia, PA.
Credit: Philly Bike Coalition
Fig, 46. Wheel stop and flexible bollard, Philadelphia, PA.
Credit: Philly Bike Coalition
Fig. 47. Berlin parklet, Long Beach, CA.
Credit: Daniel Faessler
Fig. 48. Berlin parklet, Long Beach, CA.
Credit: Daniel Faessler
Fig, 49. Rendering of 40th Street in Oakland, CA.
Credit: Andrea Gaffney and Justin Viglianti
Fig, 50. Parking kiosk, Oakland, CA.
Credit: Mike Linksvayer
Fig, 51. Parklet, Philadelphia, PA.
Credit: Dan Reed
Fig, 52. Colorful chairs at parklet, Philadelphia, PA.
Credit: Philly Bicycle Coalition
Fig. 53. Sloped seating at Deeplet parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Daveed Kapoor / utopia.org
Fig. 54. Succulent dinosaur, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Kimberly Conley
Fig. 55. Seating lined with landscaping, San Francisco, CA
Credit: Matarozzi Pelsigner Builders
Fig. 56. Plan view of Noriega parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Matarozzi Pelsigner Builders
Fig. 57. Plan view of traffic triangle conversion, Los Angeles, CA.
60 Credit: Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris 89
Fig. 58. Converted traffic triangle, Los Angeles, CA.
61 Credit: Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative 90
Fig. 59. "Billboard" with green polka dots, Los Angeles, CA.
64 Credit: Ross Reyes 91
Fig. 60. Planters at Sunset Triangle Plaza, Los Angeles, CA.
65 Credit: Alissa Walker 92
Fig. 61. LADOT installation crews at Sunset Triangle Plaza,
67 Los Angeles CA.
Credit: Margot Ocanas 92
70 Fig. 62. Children at Sunset Triangle Plaza, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Alissa Walker 93
82 Fig. 63. Picnurbia, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Credit: Neal LaMontagne 94
82 Fig. 64. Picnurbia, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Credit: Neal LaMontagne 95
84 Fig. 65. Conceptual design for
Picnurbia, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Credit: Loose Affiliates 96
84
Fig. 66. Park(ing) Day installation in Downtown Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Mike Manal 97
86
Fig. 67. Whimsical drawing from parklet petition, Oakland, CA.
Credit: Actual Cafe 98
Fig. 68. Signage at Pacoima Park(ing) Day, Los Angeles, CA. Fig. 79. Bison pedestal system during installation in San
Credit: Pacoima Beautiful 100 Francisco, CA.
Credit: SF Bicycle Coalition / sfbike.org 109
Fig, 69. Parklet installation, Philadelphia, PA.
Credit: Philly Bicycle Coalition 101 Fig. 80. Cross-section of Bison pedestals of differing heights.
Credit: Daveed Kapoor / utopia.org 110
Fig, 70. Conceptual drawing,
Francisco, CA.
Credit: Erik Otto
"Peace Keeper" parklet, San
Fig, 71. Steel substructure diagram, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: fabric8
Fig. 72. Installed steel sub -structure, "Peace Keeper" parklet.
Credit: Martha Traer
Fig. 73. "Peace Keeper" parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: fabric8
Fig. 74. "Walklet," San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Jeremy Shaw
Fig, 75. Plan view for "Walklet" options, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Rebar
Fig. 76.Options for "Walklet" pieces.
Credit: Rebar
Fig, 77. Trouble Cafe parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: San Francisco Planning Department
Fig, 78. Trouble Cafe parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: SF Bicycle Coalition / sfbike.org
Fig. 81. Pre -cast concrete pavers during installation,
103 San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Streetsblog SF 111
103 Fig. 82. Steel sub -structure, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Martha Traer 112
103 Fig. 83. Divisadero Parklet platform, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: SF Bicycle Coalition / sfbike.org 112
104 Fig. 84. Wooden sub -structure for platform, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Excelsior Action Group / www.eagsf.org 113
105 Fig. 85. Pre -fabricated modules, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Kate McCarthy 113
105 Fig. 86. Four Barrel parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Bruce Damonte Photography 115
106 Fig. 87. Bombay / FIKA edge, New York City, NY.
Credit: NYC Department of Transportation 116
107 Fig. 88. Haight Street parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: SF Bicycle Coalition / sfbike.org 116
108 Fig. 89. Cafe Seventy8, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: San Francisco MTA Livable Streets 117
Fig. 90. Squat and Gobble parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Fig. 100. Bicycle parking mounted to parklet platform, Mojo Cafe,
Credit: Brian Kusler
118
San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Thomas Rogers
126
Fig, 91. Plastic lawn chairs, Times Square, New York City, NY.
Credit: Jennifer Wu
119
Fig. 101. Vertical bicycle racks, Four Barrel Cafe,
San Francisco, CA.
Fig. 92. "Walklet," Mission District, San Francisco, CA
Credit: Bruce Damonte Photography
126
Credit: Rebar
119
Fig. 102. Active recreation parklet rendering,
Fig. 93. Dinosaur landscaping at Deeplet parklet, San
Downtown Los Angeles, CA.
Francisco, CA.
Credit: Berry and Linne
128
Credit: Kimberly Conley
120
Fig. 103. Required signage, San Francisco, CA.
Fig. 94. Landscaping with a roll of Astroturf, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Noah Christman, SPUR
129
Credit: Daveed Kapoor / utopia.org
121
Fig. 104. Pop-up cafe sign, New York City, NY.
Fig. 95. Drought -resistant plants, Freewheel Bike Shop,
Credit: Sam Smith
129
San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Daveed Kapoor / utopia.org
122
Fig. 105. Personalized signage, Deeplet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Madeline Brozen
130
Fig. 96. Planters doubling as bollards, Just for Fun parklet,
San Francisco, CA.
Fig. 106. Personalized signage, Deeplet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Trees on San Pedro Street Project
122
Credit: Madeline Brozen
130
Fig. 97. Landscaped focused parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Fig. 107. Parklet, Long Beach, CA.
Credit: Ogrydziak Prillinger Architects
123
Credit: Studio 111
131
Fig. 98. Umbrellas, Sunset Triangle Plaza, Los Angeles, CA.
Fig. 108. Four Barrel Cafe parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Elizabeth Daniels Photography
124
Credit: SF Bicycle Coalition / sfbike.org
132
Fig. 99. Bike corral, Sunset Triangle Plaza, Los Angeles, CA.
Fig. 109. Public signage at Parallel Park, Vancouver, BC.
Credit: LADOT Bikeways
125
Credit: Phil Kehres
133
Fig. 110. Parallel Park, Vancouver, B.C.
Credit: Phil Kehres
133
Figure 111. Concept for "residential parklet,"
Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: India Brookover/ Google Maps
Figure 112. Concept for "street vending parklet,"
Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Madeline Brozen/Google Maps
Fig. 113. Concept for "Skid Row revitalization parklet"
Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: India Brookover/Google Maps
Fig. 114. Concept for "school proximate parklet,"
Los Angeles,CA.
Credit: India Brookover/Google Maps
Fig. 115. Concept for "culturally significant parklet"
Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: India Brookover/Google Maps
Fig. 116. Concept for "LA's diagonal parklet,"
Los Angeles, CA.
142 Credit: India Brookover/Google Maps
Fig, 117. Rendering of "LA's diagonal parklet,"
143 Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: India Brookover
Fig. 118. Concept for parklets at Cesar Chavez
144 Ave. and Grand Ave, Los Angeles CA.
Credit: India Brookover/Google Maps
Fig. 119. Rendering of "active recreation parklet,"
145 Los Angeles CA.
Credit: Veena Samartha
146 Fig, 120. Rendering of "garden space parklet,"
Los Angeles CA.
Credit: India Brookover
147
EK
150
151
A
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k go I I U N
Relocated
City back
Bike Parking
,.,
Locking _ a 1Jt y.,n;' .
Bar
nN
Steel Edging
Phormiurn or Say Laurel
Pavers
Wheel Holdet
i
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TO .,
Low Planters
Steel Planter Boxes
Low Planters
Wood Lattice
Planters
Figure 1. Rendering from 40th Street, Oakland, CA.
Credit: Andrea Gaffney and Justin Viglianti
2 F?E(:! AIKAIIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF INAY
Purpose of this Toolkit
The purpose of the Parklet Toolkit (toolkit) is to provide
city staff and community members with practical guidance
to support the development of small-scale parks, called
parklets. Parklet programs and projects are spreading
quickly across the nation, from San Francisco to New York
and other cities profiled in the toolkit. This decision support
toolkit is designed specifically to facilitate the development
of parklet projects in the city of Los Angeles and encourage
a parklet program that creates an institutionalized pathway
for their installation. Despite the focus on Los Angeles, the
program case studies, project guidelines, and other best
practices presented in this toolkit are easily transferable to
other communities across the nation.
Scope
This toolkit begins with an introduction to parklets,
including the definition of parklets and a summary of their
use, value, and precedents. Next, Chapter 2 provides
context for parklets in Los Angeles. This chapter highlights
activities that led to current efforts to re -purpose streets,
re -energize public spaces, and insert physical activity
opportunities into the urban environment.
Chapter 3 consists of case studies of parklet programs
in cities across North America. The case studies are
ordered starting with the most advanced program to the
most nascent. These case studies represent a snapshot
in time, containing information gleaned from interviews
with program leaders and a literature review conducted
during the spring of 2012. As the parklet movement is
rapidly evolving and expanding, the authors of this toolkit
acknowledge that the program section contains an
incomplete list of parklet programs. The programs included
in the toolkit, however, were selected by UCLA researchers
to collectively show a range of best practices that could
serve as models for Los Angeles and other cities seeking
to begin similar initiatives. The case studies highlight key
information about reoccurring themes of program goals, site
selection, design development, permitting, maintenance,
and lessons learned.
Chapter 4 provides practical advice and supporting
details at a micro level to help readers select a project site
and then design parklet projects based on the specific
context, including surrounding land use, desired project
duration, and project function and objectives. Examples of
specific projects are included throughout this chapter to
illustrate and highlight examples within a parklet typology
matrix. This chapter also gives readers decision support tools
for designing a project that incorporates considerations of
cost, safety and comfort, landscaping and environmental
amenities, as well as management and maintenance.
The toolkit concludes with a summary of where parklet
programs and projects originated, their current status,
and future opportunities. As such, Chapter 5 includes
several photo simulations to illustrate the range of potential
possibilities for parklets in Los Angeles.
II
NEC! AIMINca THE RIGM T of WAY 3
Figure 2. Parklet use on Divisadero Street, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Jeremy Shaw
4 RE(:! AIK4IIV(a i liE RI(ili i OF INAY
Methodology
UCLA researchers compiled the information used in the
toolkit through a combination of online literature reviews
and one-on-one interviews with parklet program and
project leaders. Specifically, the program case studies of
Chapter 3 involved structured interviews using a standard
format of 17 process -oriented questions. These interviews
were conducted with the parklet program directors of each
of the profiled cities. Interview questions addressed program
goals and objectives, program history, organizational
process, scope (number of projects and project typology),
permitting and maintenance requirements, and funding, as
well as program evaluation, impacts, challenges, successes,
and lessons learned. The survey instruments can be found in
the Appendix.
For Chapter 4, UCLA researchers conducted two
types of interviews: 1) with parklet designers; and 2) with
business owners or managers who have adopted each of
the parklets. The interviewees provided insights into specific
elements of parklet projects and answered questions such
as:
• What design considerations should I make if I
have a site of a certain size?
• What should be taken into account if the
parklet is surrounded by particular land uses?
• What factors should I consider when designing
parklet seating?
The researchers extracted lessons and practical advice
drawing from the interviews with designers, business owners,
and city staff. The goal of the toolkit is to provide practical
advice and demonstrate the wide range of design options
available for parklet installations.
Parklet Basics
The term "parklet" was first used in San Francisco to
represent the conversion of an automobile parking space
into a mini -park for passive recreation. This toolkit expands
this basic definition to include other spaces formerly
occupied by cars as well as spaces that can also facilitate
active recreation.
Parklets emerge from the low-cost conversion
of small and under utilized residual spaces
originally devoted to cars into spaces for the
passive or active recreation of people.
Parklets are typically created by building a platform on
the pavement to extend the sidewalk space, and retrofitting
it with benches, planters, tables and chairs, umbrellas, and
bike racks. In the case of active recreation parklets, exercise
machines can be bolted to the platform.
RE(:. AIK4114ca SAE NicaiA T OF INAY
Parklets vary based on the following characteristics:
• Location: Parklets can occupy former parking
spaces, street medians, traffic triangles, re -
purposed travel lanes and parking lots or
excess asphalt space at angled or irregular
intersections.
• Surrounding land uses: Commercial or
residential,
• Size: From a couple of parking of spaces to
spaces extending along the length a block,
to larger spaces occupying entire parts of a
block,
• Shape: Linear, square, rectangular, triangular,
or irregular,
• Duration: From a few hours (e.g. Ciclovias and
Sunday Streets), to one day (Park(ing) Day), to
part of the year (during spring and summer), to
year -around installations,
• Type of activity: Passive or active recreation.
This parklet project typology will be further explored in
Chapter 4.
6 REC AIMIW(a i WE RIGAI-I i OF WAY
In addition to presenting a range of locations and typologies for parklets, this toolkit also introduces the concept of
active recreation parklets. Typically, parklets have served passive recreation purposes, such as sitting and enjoying a cup of
coffee purchased at a nearby cafe. But as will be discussed in Chapter 2, in Los Angeles, plans are moving forward for the
development of a parklet that will include exercise equipment. This type of parklet would allow pedestrians to actively use the
public right-of-way.
lllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
LA CaM LA
Figure 3. Rendering for Spring Street Parklet, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Berry and Linne
r
r90
Us.
ti I
Need and Rationale
The Los Angeles park system lags behind other large
cities of the West Coast in terms of percentage of space
dedicated to parks.' The exact amount of accessible open
space in Los Angeles varies widely by neighborhood and
largely relates to neighborhood economic prosperity.2
While wealthier and disproportionately non -Hispanic white
areas have over 100 acres per 1,000 residents, many low-
income neighborhoods in the densely populated areas
of Los Angeles have less than one acre of park space per
1,000 residents.' These "park -poor" neighborhoods also have
limited access to fresh and healthy foods. Not surprisingly,
obesity prevalence is higher in these areas; approximately
one in three adults in South Los Angeles is obese.4 These
patterns collectively demonstrate the dire need for
increased open space for physical activity in inner city Los
Angeles neighborhoods.
In comparison, significantly more space in Los Angeles
is dedicated to the movement of vehicles (i.e. roadways
and the public rights -of -way) than is found in all of the city's
parks.' Los Angeles is not alone in this regard. Road space
comprises a significant amount of acreage in US cities,
and at least since the last century, this space has been
the domain of the private automobile. Indeed, US cities
RE(:. AIK4114ca SAE NicaiA T OF INAY 7
are characterized by wider traffic lanes and more surface
parking lots than cities in other countries.
Recently, some US cities have started to rethink the
use of street space and convert formerly automobile -
occupied spaces into multi -use spaces for pedestrians in
the form of parklets. While converting large swaths of land
in central and inner city neighborhoods is often unfeasible
or very expensive, an advantage of parklets is their low
installation and maintenance costs for cities. This is due in
part to their relatively small size, less permanent nature,
and partnerships with adjacent businesses. A leading
organization in the parklet movement, San Francisco Great
Streets Project, describes parklets in the following way:
"Parklets are built out of semi -permanent materials
and are installed in a way that does not require
reconfiguring the roadway or pouring concrete.
They are usually hosted or sponsored by a local
business or organization that pays to design and
build them and agrees to keep them maintained."'
B F?E(:! AIKAIIV(a i IiE F?I(ali i OF INAY
Parklet Precedents
Parklets, as defined and explored in this toolkit, are a
recent phenomenon in American cities, but one with roots
in earlier trends in public space design and urban place
making in North America. The conversion of under utilized,
residual, or automobile -oriented spaces into places to relax,
recreate, or engage in the public life of the city is part of at
least three broader trends in reshaping urban public space.
The parklet movement is also specifically an offshoot of the
successful and nimble parklet program in San Francisco,
which has its own roots in a similar program in New York City.
A brief overview of the history of the parklet movement is
provided below to highlight the context and explain how
parklets fit within the North American public space tradition,
and how they can provide new opportunities for public
spaces in urban environments.
The idea of the "parklet" in its current expression
emerged in San Francisco in the form of temporary
installations intended to extend the social life and
pedestrian space of the sidewalk into parking spaces.
Rebar, a San Francisco art and design studio, created the
first such parklet in 2005 by converting a single metered
parking space into a temporary (two-hour) public park in
downtown San Francisco. This parklet was complete with a
lawn, shade tree, and park bench.
This initial action quickly transformed into a global
trend and sparked the development of an international
Park(ing) Day movement. Every year myriad organizations
and individual participants in cities across North America
and Europe transform parking spaces into a diverse array of
urban parks for a day or less.
The success of Park(ing) Day encouraged Rebar to
experiment with more extensive forms of temporary space
activation. Eventually the City of San Francisco incorporated
parklets (including a Rebar designed parklet kit) as part
of its "Pavement to Parks" program. This program seeks to
reclaim under utilized street space and convert it into new,
quick, and affordable public plazas and parks that can exist
for days or years (rather than a day or less). The program
started in 2009 with an initial pilot plaza, Castro Commons,
created at the triangular intersection of 17th, Market, and
Castro streets in San Francisco.
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This program was, in turn, inspired by New York City's
2008 "Pavement to Plaza" Program, which transformed
excess roadway spaces into public plazas through the
simple use of barriers, seating, and surface painting,
and "Green Light Manhattan" in 2009, which converted
automobile -oriented spaces on Broadway, Times
Square, and Herald Square into pedestrian plazas. This
"pedestrianization" of Broadway in Times Square involved
adding moveable seating and sidewalk paint to create
open space in the heart of the city.
While the San Francisco and New York programs signify
the genesis of parklets in the US, the rise of parklets is also
connected to three broader trends, including:
Use of Residual Space
There is a long tradition in public space design and
implementation to leverage residual spaces into active public
spaces or new community park space. These include roadway
medians, spaces under bridges, traffic islands, roadway edges,
freeway caps, and parking lots. These spaces are often valued
for their availability, since their "leftover" status does not
require expensive acquisition or intense competition for their
use. A recent effort to reclaim residual spaces is seen in the
celebrated reuse of the High Line in New York City.
Approaches for the reclamation of residual spaces
vary widely, but typically require creative site -specific design
solutions and engagement with the local community.
Typical solutions tend to be long-term in intent, while
the design and scale of the projects are based on
considerations unique to the project.
Tactical Urbanism
There is a growing interest across North America in
creating or transforming public space with a quicker,
lighter, cheaper ethos. Not only does this use of temporary
tactics allow for more affordable public space creation in
an era of limited public resources, but it also encourages
experimentation, iteration, and adaptation. Many tactical
urbanism projects use the notion of "pilot" program or
"interim" use to avoid lengthy bureaucratic approval
processes, thereby enabling cities or groups to try public
space interventions, like parklets, to see what works, and
build an evidence -base or supportive constituency for the
intervention.
Other terms associated with this trend include D-I-Y
(do-it-yourself) urbanism, guerrilla urbanism, or pop-up
urbanism. These terms reflect the small-scale, affordable,
flexible, and often temporary nature of tactical urbanist
REC! AIMING( THE RICAM i OF WAY 11
Figure 5. Park(ing) Day Bratislava, Slovakia.
Credit: Mark Archimera
7
Figure 6. Castro Commons, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Frank Chan, San Francisco Bicycle Coalition
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interventions but also their accessibility and appropriateness
for community or advocacy group -led projects. Tactics
typical of this approach to public space intervention are
usually temporary in intent and design. Examples include
"city repair" (community groups reclaiming neighborhood
streets as public gathering places with paint, plantings,
artwork, or other community -oriented amenities), "pop-
up cafes or retail spaces" (short-term commercial uses
that create opportunities for small-scale entrepreneurs to
experiment), and "mobile playgrounds" (light and easily
assembled and disassembled play facilities that can be
easily transported to new locations).
Such interventions can range in size. On the larger end
of the spectrum was a three -block "Popuphood" launched
in Oakland, CA in 2011 that provided six months free rent
to six new retail stores in five previously vacant store fronts.
Other interventions include "chair -bombing" (filling a public
space with chairs to encourage sitting and socializing),
"pop-up town halls" (providing temporary spaces for public
discussions and forums), and "site pre -vitalization" (enabling
temporary uses such as community gardens, temporary
markets, and art events on vacant parcels or prior to
permanent development).
RE(:. AIM114(a i IAE RI(al-I i OF INAY 13
Car Free Streets
Parklets also fit well in the trend to transform street
space to pedestrian or other non -automobile -centric uses.
There is a broad spectrum of public space interventions
within this category. These include temporary or permanent
street closures and conversion to spaces for walking and
cycling, car -free days, and open streets initiatives, where
streets are closed to car traffic during specific hours and
days (often during weekends) to enable biking and walking.
Although car -free spaces tend to be larger scale than
parklets, there is a common lineage in the concern for
expanding pedestrian space in urban areas.
Car -free streets range from permanent
pedestrianization--including Santa Monica's Third Street
Promenade --to temporary closure that enables pedestrian
or event use, such as car -free days during CicLAvia in Los
Angeles and Sunday Streets in San Francisco, among others.
The car -free streets movement also includes new street
design approaches that restrict or limit automobile access
and increase the use of lane ways or alleys for festivals or
more permanent pedestrianization.
14 RE(.! AIR4114(a i WE HI(ali i OF INAY
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Figure 8. Painted intersection, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Michelle Selvans
Figure 9. Chair "bombing," Brooklyn, NY.
Credit: Aurash Khawarzad
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16 RE(:! AIKAIIV(a i WE RI(a1A i OF INAY
Footnotes
1. Harnik, P. (2000). "Comparison of Parks and Open Spaces among
Major West Coast Cities," Inside City Parks. Washington, DC.: Urban Land
Institute.
2. Loukaitou-Sideris, A. and Stieglitz, O, (2002). "Children in Los
Angeles Parks: A Study of Equity, Quality and Children's Satisfaction with
Neighborhood Parks," Town Planning Review 74(4): 467-488.
3. The City Project. (2011). "Healthy Parks, Schools and
Communities: Green Access and Equity for Los Angeles County,"
accessed July 18, 2012, http://www.cityprojectca.org/ourwork/
mappinggreenaccess/index.html.
4. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. (2009). "Key
Indicators of Health."
5. Pastucha, S. (2011, Feb 24). "Complete Streets for Los Angeles,"
UCLA Complete Streets Conference. Los Angeles: Urban Design Studio,
Los Angeles City Planning Department.
San Francisco Great Streets Project.(2012). Parklets: How to get
them off the ground, scale them up and transform a city.
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18 P.E(;! AIK4IIV(a i IiE F?I(;Ii i OF INAY
Park(ing) Day LA
Starting in 2007 as part of the larger Park(ing) Day
movement described in Chapter 1, Park(ing) Day LA
marked the appearance of the first temporary parklets in
Los Angeles. Park(ing) Day LA has continued annually ever
since 2007. While not the first effort to increase public space
in Los Angeles, Park(ing) Day LA "celebrates the momentum
of providing additional parks and open space throughout
Los Angeles, especially as it relates to smaller, more infill
opportunities" by converting metered parking spaces
into engaging, public space installations.' Installations on
Park(ing) Day seek to educate the general public about
the problems and opportunities relating to open space
availability in the city of Los Angeles.
The following is an example of how and why one
organization, Pacoima Beautiful, participates in Park(ing)
Day.
Pacoima Beautiful, a member -based environmental
health and justice non-profit organization operating in Los
Angeles' Northeast San Fernando Valley, incorporates
Park(ing) Day into its Complete Streets initiative. The
community of Pacoima contains industrial land uses that
contribute to traffic and air pollution impacts for local
residents, who are predominantly lower -income Latinos.
Pacoima Beautiful leads campaigns to increase open
space and specifically to improve livability along Van Nuys
Boulevard, a major traffic artery in the neighborhood.
Pacoima Beautiful's Park(ing) Day goals include:
• Have a free, fun event in the community.
• Increase awareness about the organization
(especially for people who are outside the
traditional outreach.)
• Give out information about Pacoima Beautiful
campaigns and other public awareness
information.
• Promote the idea of increasing the amount of
green space and environmental amenities in
Pacoima.
Pacoima Beautiful participated in Park(ing) Day in
2010 and 2011, utilizing a parking space in front of the library
along Van Nuys Boulevard. The site was chosen because of
high foot traffic and because it has a median that shields
pedestrians from automobile traffic.
While the first year's installation successfully
attracted community members to the site, in the
second year, Pacoima Beautiful was able to better
meet its goals by designing the installation to look
more like a traditional street fair, which are common in
Pacoima. Design elements included adding a tent and
having more tables and chairs. Organizers found that
the tent and signage were important to designate a
public space. Also to create a street fair environment
and engage people in the space, the organizers
expanded their programming in the second year to
include sidewalk art projects, a plant raffle, Popsicle
give-away, and bicycle safety information. In addition,
Pacoima Beautiful realized the benefit of coupling
Park(ing) Day with other campaign events, specifically
neighborhood clean-up events.
In the fall of 2012, Pacoima Beautiful will open a
new pocket park. The Park(ing) Day event will work as
a promotional event for that campaign.
Overall, a temporary installation like the one by
Pacoima Beautiful costs approximately $50 to $300,
depending on how many items (such as tents, chairs,
and plants) an organization owns prior to the event.
RE(:. AIM114(a i WE RI(ali i OF INAY 19
Figure 12, Park(ing) Day, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Pacoima Beautiful
` 0 RE(.! AIK4IIV(a i IiE RI(ali i OF 1NAY
Streets for People
The Streets for People pilot initiative resulted in arguably
the first large-scale and longer -term parklet in Los Angeles.
This parklet, called the Sunset Triangle Plaza, opened in
March of 2012. Yet its origins occurred years earlier, when
community activists within the group Living Streets LA met to
discuss pilot project interventions that would improve streets
in Los Angeles. Inspiration came from the conversion of New
York City's Times Square into a pedestrian plaza. One of
the members of Living Streets LA, Margot Ocanas, moved
into a position with the Los Angeles County Department of
Public Health's RENEW program (Renewing Environments
for Nutrition, Exercise and Wellness). RENEW, which was
federally funded for three years (from March 2009 to March
2012), provided financial and technical assistance to cities
to increase opportunities for physical activity within the built
environment. RENEW program funding was used to officially
launch the Streets for People (S4P) project.
During the same time, the Los Angeles Planning
Commission, also interested in creating healthier built
environments, saw an opportunity to work with the Los
Angeles County Department of Public Health through the
scope of RENEW and their S4P project. Bill Roschen, President
of the Planning Commission, and Margot Ocanas began
looking for opportunities to initiate a project similar to the
Times Square pedestrian plaza.
Ultimately, S4P became an initiative of the Los
Angeles County Department of Public Health and the Los
Angeles Planning Commission, working closely with the city
Departments of Transportation, Planning, and Public Works
as well as the Office of Council member Eric Garcetti, local
businesses, and community -based organizations, including
the Silver Lake Improvement Association and the Silver Lake
Neighborhood Council. Living Streets LA and its parent
organization, Green LA Coalition, have been integral to S4P,
providing staffing support and acting as fiscal agents.
The S4P's Sunset Triangle Plaza opened in March 2012,
occupying 11,000 square feet of a former traffic triangle and
roadway. This parklet moved from idea to installation in less
than two years and for a total cost of $25,000. It is equipped
with movable chairs and tables, umbrellas, bike racks, and
planters, all sitting on asphalt pavement that has been
transformed through the application of bright green paint.
The project is a one-year pilot. It will be evaluated in 2013,
and either converted to a permanent installation, altered, or
removed.
Los Angeles Director of Planning, Michael LoGrande,
believes that this pilot project can be an effective way to
provide public spaces within neighborhoods:
"I think by moving quickly and showing people we
can take chances, we can try things that are pilot
programs and not necessarily go through a huge
process that people lose interest in because it takes
too long to see results. In government, we have to
be nimble as ever, and show small successes." 8
More details about the design of this project can be
found in Chapter 4 of this toolkit.
RECLAIMIN(a THE RIGAH i OF INKY 21
Figure 13. Sunset Triangle Plaza, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Neal LaMontagne
99 RE(. Ain4iwca T IAF Nicaiq T OF INAY
Figure 14. Plan view rendering, Sunset Triangle Plaza, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Rios Clementi Hale Studios
r - -
Figure 15. Traffic barricades, Sunset Triangle Plaza, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Neal LaMontagne
Bike Corrals
Bike corrals are a type of parklet dedicated to bicycle
parking.
"A corral is an on -street bicycle facility that can
accommodate many more bicycles than a typical
sidewalk rack ... and typically replaces an existing
single vehicle parking space with up to eight
bicycle racks —enough space to accommodate 16
bicycles. In areas with high cycling demand, corrals
use space much more efficiently than a single car
parking stall would."'
At the time of this toolkit's publication, Los Angeles had
installed two bike corrals, with plans to install six more. The
Los Angeles Department of Transportation (LADOT) installed
the first bike corral on York Boulevard and Avenue 50 in the
Highland Park neighborhood, and another in the Sunset
Triangle Plaza, described in the previous section.
As part of a common theme, the effort to bring bike
corrals to Los Angeles is rooted in community activism.
Organizations including the Los Angeles County Bicycle
Coalition and C.I.C.L.E. (Cyclists Inciting Change Through
LIVE Exchange), along with Matt Schodorf (Caf6 de Leche
co-owner), Josef Bray -Ali, Joe Linton, and countless other
advocates and dedicated citizens, helped make the idea
of bike corrals in Los Angeles a reality.10
RE(:. AIMlivca SAE NicaiA T OF 1NNY 23
Council member Josh Huizar, hearing the support for
bike corrals successfully voiced by activists using social
media in 2009 and 2010, drafted a motion to create a bike
corral "Pilot Project" at York Boulevard and Avenue 50. In
only 14 days during March of 2010, the initial motion swept
through the Los Angeles Transportation Committee and City
Council to gain approval for installation.'' The bike corral at
York Boulevard and Avenue 50 opened in February 2011.
The bike corral cost approximately $2,700 and was paid for
by the LADOT.
Since then, the LADOT has implemented a Bike Corral
Pilot Program. LADOT has issues a promotional document
about these bike corrals that explains the process for
businesses to apply for and receive corrals. The department
also created a maintenance agreement template that
applying businesses have to sign.12 This template, shown in
Appendix A, could also be used as the beginning for a city -
approved template for future parklet projects. The LADOT
Bike Corral Program is currently working with City Council
offices and local businesses to identify locations for six more
bike corrals.
24 HE(.�LAIMllq(a T liE NicaiA T OF INAY
Figure 16. Bike corral, Portland, OR.
Credit: Chris Brunn
Figure 17. Bike corral, Highland Park, CA.
Credit: LADOT Bikeways
Fitness Zones
RE(*. Arn4ii4ca liE Nicaii T of I?VAY 25
This toolkit discusses not only parklets as places for
passive enjoyment (intended for people to sit, relax and
socialize), but also parklets as public spaces for active
recreation. A leader in the movement for public spaces
for active recreation in the Los Angeles region, the Trust
for Public Land began their "Fitness Zones" program in
2005 with funding from the Kaiser Permanente Foundation.
These fitness zones are outdoor gyms that contain exercise
equipment machines and are located within public parks.
The goal of the Fitness Zones program is to:
"Create a fun, accessible, and social environment
where people can enjoy getting fit. We know that
just getting outdoors makes people healthier and
happier. Fitness Zones take that one step further by
giving people free access to top-quality exercise
equipment suitable for all levels of fitness."13
The process, from planning to installation of a fitness
zone, provides lessons relevant to installing parklets in
Los Angeles. For each project, the Trust for Public Land
works with a community partner to select a park location.
Figure 18. Fitness Zone, South Los Angeles, CA. Selection is based on local need, demonstrated by limited
Credit: Christine Trang park space and a sizable local population representing
` 6 RE(.�LAIMllq(a T liE NicaiA T OF INAY
a variety of park users and potential users. After the park
is selected, the Trust for Public Land works closely with the
Los Angeles County Recreation and Parks Department to
select a particular place within the park. Selection criteria
include site visibility and shade. The Trust for Public Land then
hires a contractor to install the exercise machines at the
selected site, and gifts the machines to the Recreation and
Parks Department that is responsible for their maintenance.
The Recreation and Parks Department also holds liability
insurance for the fitness zones.
Each fitness zone costs approximately $45,000.
Costs include six to eight pieces of exercise equipment,
installation, and staff time for permitting and agency
coordination. As of June 2012, fitness zones were located
in 29 different parks in Los Angeles County. By the end of
August 2012, it is expected that 42 LA County parks will
contain fitness zones.
Researchers evaluated the fitness zones in 12 parks
and found that park use had increased in half of the parks
since the installation of a fitness zone.14 They also found a
correlation between the presence of a fitness zone and
elevated levels of exercise in a park, not only among
users of the fitness zone but also in other parts of the park.
Researchers speculate that seeing people on exercise
equipment encourages others to be more physically active.
Figure 19, Fitness Zone equipment, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Office of Council member Jose Huizar
Other Key Precedents
The Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative (LANI) is
a non-profit organization that has initiated a number
of streetscape projects. LANI facilitates stakeholder
participation and decision -making, and promotes public -
private partnerships that result in community improvement
projects. Several of LANI's transportation and corridor
improvement projects involve converting underutilized
roadway space into public space for pedestrians.
For instance, LANI created a public plaza from a
street median by closing a small portion of a cut -through
street near the intersection of Normandie Avenue and
Pico Boulevard (see figures 22 & 23). LANI also added
landscaping and benches as part of a beautification
project on a street median near the intersection of Hoover
Street and Pico Boulevard (see figures 20 & 2). LANI is
currently in the permitting phase to expand the plaza at
Normandie and Pico, seeking to fill in part of the street and
create a larger, contiguous plaza. LANI has several other
open space projects in the building, construction, and
proposed/planning phases.
RE(.* AIK41i4ca liE NicaiA T of wtiY 2
LANI projects are designed by a community -driven
process in which a Steering Committee meets with
architects and gives them feedback through design
development. Funding for past projects was awarded
through the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation
Authority's Call for Projects, the Community Redevelopment
Agency, and LADOT reprogrammed funds. While similar
to parklets, these plazas involve more expensive and
permanent changes to the streetscape.15
28 RE(. Arn4iigca iiE Nicaiq T OF INAY
Figures 20 and 21. Before and after:
Pico Blvd. and Hoover St., Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative
NE(:,LAIMn4ca iiE Nicaii T of AIVAY ` 9
Figures 22 and 23. Before and after:
Pico Blvd. and Normandie Ave., Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative
30 F?E(:! AIKAIIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF INAY
Current Efforts and City Support
In addition to the aforementioned efforts, the
Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council (DLANC)
formed a Complete Streets Working Group in the summer
of 2011 with the objective to explore innovative design
ideas for improving streets in Downtown Los Angeles. The
group focuses on two initiatives: 1) working with the LADOT
Bike Program on designs for bicycle treatments; and 2)
installing parklets. The working group identified potential sites
along Spring Street for parklet installation and has spoken
with business owners at the Historic Downtown Business
Improvement District about sponsoring them. They also
prepared design concepts for the candidate sites, and
collaborated with Los Angeles City Council members and
the Department of City Planning to move these projects
forward. Additionally, two projects in Council District 14 are
moving forward with preliminary designs and are seeking to
be among the piloted parklet projects.
As a result of these and other efforts from advocates,
Los Angeles City Council members Jan Perry and Jose Huizar
brought a motion to the City Council in September 2011.
The motion now instructs the Departments of City Planning,
Public Works, and Transportation:
"To assist with the implementation of parklet
demonstration projects currently under
consideration and to create a citywide parklet
pilot program similar to San Francisco's Pavement
to Parks Program."16
With support from the UCLA Luskin School of Public
Affairs and a grant to UCLA from The Rosalinde and Arthur
Gilbert Foundation, the DLANC is currently moving forward
for the development of a parklet on Spring Street that would
include exercise equipment. This will be the first active
recreation parklet in Los Angeles, allowing pedestrians to
actively utilize the public right-of-way. This toolkit is designed
to support this effort and others that will follow from it.
Figure 25. Plan view of Spring
Street parklet, Los Angeles, CA
Credit: Tony Lopez
RE(:LAINAIIV(a i WE RI(al-I i OF IAINY 31
Figure 24. Rendering of Spring
Street parklet, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Berry and Linne
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32 REC! AIMINGc THE RIGHT OF WAY
Figure 26. Rendering of El
Serrano parklet, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Kelli Rudnick
Figure27. Rendering of York Boulevard parklet, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Kelli Rudnick
Footnotes
7. Park(ing) Day LA. (2012). Accessed July 18, 2012,
www.parkingdayla.com.
8. LoGrande, M., as quoted in: Berg, N. (March 5, 2012). "Los
Angeles Seeks Pedestrians," The Atlantic Cities, accessed July 19, 2012,
http://www.theatlanticcities.com/neighborhoods/2012/03/los-angeles-
seeks-pedestrians/1410/.
9. Los Angeles Department of Transportation Bike Blog. (March
23, 2012). "Bike Corral Information," accessed July 18, 2012, http://
ladotbikeblog.wordpress.com/2012/03/23/bike-corral-information-
document/.
10. Los Angeles Department of Transportation Bike Blog. (February 9,
2011). "Back from the Dead: Bike Corral on York Blvd," accessed July 18,
2012February 9, http://Iadotbikeblog.wordpress.com/201 1 /02/09/back-
from-the-dead-bike-corral-on-york-boulevard/.
11. Los Angeles City Council. (April 27, 2010). "Motior
09-1710," accessed July 18, 2012, http://clkrep.lacity.org/
onlinedocs/2009/09-1710_ca_04-27-1 O.pdf.
12. Los Angeles Department of Transportation Bike Blog. (March
23, 2012). "Bike Corral Information," accessed July 18, 2012, http://
ladotbikeblog.wordpress.com/2012/03/23/bike-corral-information-
document/.
13. Trust for Public Land. (n.d.). "Fitness Zones," accessed July 18,
2012, http://www.tpl.org/what-we-do/where-we-work/california/los-
angeles-county/fitness-zones.html.
14. Cohen, D., Marsh, T., Williamson, S., Golinelli, D., & McKenzie, T.
(2012). "Impact and Cost-effectiveness of Family Fitness Zones: A Natural
Experiment in Urban Public Parks," Health & Place 18(1): 39-45.
RE(:. AIM114ca IAE Nicaii T of INAY 33
15. Apostolos, A., Senior Program Manager of LANI. (2012). ,Personal
communication, June 7, 2012.
16. Perry, Jan and Huizar, Jose. (201 1 Sept 16) "Los Angeles City
Council Motion 11-1604."
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Introduction
The following chapter provides examples of parklet
programs in leading cities throughout North America.
This chapter does not address every effort in every city.
Rather, UCLA researchers selected seven cities because
their parklet programs can provide specific lessons for Los
Angeles. The following seven municipal parklet programs are
discussed in this chapter:
• San Francisco,
• Montreal,
• New York City,
• Vancouver,
• Philadelphia,
• Long Beach,
• Oakland.
RECLAIMING THE RIGHT OF WAY 35
Collectively, these program case studies underscore
key commonalities as well as the diversity amongst parklet
programs in cities throughout North America. These
case studies are not meant to be an exhaustive list of all
parklets in North America, but rather to highlight some key
distinctions between selected cases. The concluding section
of this chapter includes a table comparing cities by their
number of parklet sites, the city departments involved in
their parklet program, their permit requirements and costs,
required insurance, and duration of the parklets. Also for
comparison purposes, each parklet program case study
includes sections on:
1. Origins and goals of the parklet program;
2. Planning process and design development;
3. Implementation and maintenance (including
the responsibilities of the applicant/parklet
sponsor); and
4. Successes and challenges of each parklet
program.
6 RECLAIMIN a T HE RICHA T of WAY
San Francisco
Origins and Goals
San Francisco coined the term parklets and was the
first city to introduce parklets (specifically in parking spaces)
in the United States. This distinction is due, in part, to a 2008
visit from New York City Transportation Commissioner Janette
Sadik-Khan. During her visit, Commissioner Sadik-Khan
challenged San Francisco to initiate a program that would
create quality public spaces. Responding to the challenge
to reclaim public space for people, the City of San Francisco
opened its first plaza pilot project on Castro Commons in
April 2009 (figure 29).
The San Francisco Planning Department led this
initial effort. In order to avoid lengthy permit processing, it
defined this project as "removable" in character ensuring
an expedited design review process and construction.
t
Figure 29. Castro Commons, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Jamison Wieser
Following the Castro Commons parklet, San Francisco
established the "Pavement to Parks" program to address the
following issue:
"Many of our streets are excessively wide and
contain large zones of wasted space, especially
at intersections. San Francisco's new 'Pavement
to Parks' projects seek to temporarily reclaim these
unused swathes and quickly and inexpensively turn
them into new public plazas and parks.""
After Castro Commons, the city piloted projects at
other locations. The projects resulted in positive community
interest and overwhelming demand for more removable
public spaces in San Francisco.
Following the success of these plaza pilots and inspired
by PARK(ing) Day, the city innovated a new program
to create temporary plazas in parking spaces, which it
dubbed "parklets." After installing the first pilot parklets,
the city streamlined permitting for these spaces, including
the processing of the applications, selection of sites, and
their subsequent installation by private parties such as
businesses and residents. As of July 2012, San Francisco has
35 parklet projects installed and 35 more in the pipeline. The
Pavement to Parks program is now housed in the City Design
Group at the San Francisco Planning Department and is a
RE(.* ain4ii4ca liE NicaiA T of IAJAY 3
collaborative effort between the Planning Department, the
Department of Public Works, the Municipal Transportation
Agency and the Mayor's Office.
According to city planner Andres Power, San
Francisco's main objective for parklets is to reprogram
automobile parking spaces for alternate uses and reallocate
them in strategic ways to provide better public space for
pedestrians. The City of San Francisco wants to pursue
the parklet projects quickly and cost-effectively and also
possibly in a reversible way, in case there are unforeseen
challenges. As the city's recent request for parklet proposals
indicates:
"Parklets are intended to provide space for people
to sit, relax, and enjoy the city around them,
especially where narrow sidewalks would otherwise
preclude such activities. They are intended to be
seen as pieces of street furniture, providing aesthetic
enhancements to the overall streetscape."18
Planning Process and Design Development
The first pilot plazas in the Pavement to Parks program
were permitted as temporary street closures, typically for
about a month or two to test out the viability of the spaces.
Once the plazas were proven successful, the city legislated
the spaces as permanent open space. The first pilot parklets
38 RE(;! AIR4IIV(a i IiE RI(ali i of wav
in parking spaces were permitted under an existing street
closure permit. Given the positive feedback on the first
pilots, along with community -driven demand for more
parklet projects, the City streamlined permitting and initiated
an expedited approval process. Since the program's
establishment, the city has issued three rounds of Requests
for Proposals for parklet projects, and it will issue a fourth
round in fall 2012.
The city evaluates the viability of a parklet location on
a case -by -case basis, using the following criteria:
• Lack of public space in the surrounding
neighborhood,
• Preexisting community support for public space
at the location,
• Surrounding uses that can attract people to
the space,
• Identified community or business steward,
• Not blocking a fire hydrant or bus stop,
• Generally not located on a corner or on the
City's five year paving plan,
0 Slope of the street is less than 5% grade.
The city recommends the following general design
guidelines:
• Parklet should be easily accessible from the
sidewalk,
• Some landscaping is expected,
• Parklet should be visually permeable to enable
people to rest and experience the street off
the sidewalk,
• Parklet should conform to ADA access
guidelines. Parklet must be open to the public
and display two standard signs (per city
template) stating "public parklet,"
• Should feel public and be devoid of cues (e.g.
umbrellas and condiment bottles on tables)
that signify that the space's primary function is
for commercial activity,
• Seating should be included and any
removable furniture must be distinct from those
of restaurants.
The Request for Proposals also strongly encourages
fixed/permanent furniture —including benches and bike
racks to denote that it is a public space —rather than
movable tables and chairs. If a business chooses to include
movable tables and chairs, this furniture must be different
than the furniture that the business currently uses. The site
should `read' overall as a public space, and businesses are
not allowed to provide table -side service to the parklet.
These tactics all combine to indicate that the parklet is
public rather than a private extension of the business.
Other than the above requirements, the guidelines are
not very prescriptive. These guidelines will allow parklets to
have a unique character and display a sense of belonging
to their particular neighborhood, as the city cherishes the
Figure 30. "Parkmobile" Yerba Buena district, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Madeline Brozen
RE(:. AIK4114(a i IWE RI(ali i OF INKY 39
diversity of parklet designs. The fourth round of RFP to be
released in fall 2012, will have stronger design guidelines and
more detailed accessibility guidelines. As a result, parklets in
San Francisco have different characteristics and typologies.
For instance, the installation on Powell Street is a corridor
treatment --sponsored by Audi Motors and designed by
Walter Hood --that runs along two blocks and on both sides
of the street (figures 33 & 34). The city views this corridor
treatment as a hybrid between a parking -space parklet and
a pedestrian plaza.
On the other end of the size and duration spectrum, six
projects in the Yerba Buena Community Benefit District are
"parkmobiles," small installations consisting primarily of just
a bench and a planting that can be moved periodically to
different sites in the district (figure 30). Parkmobile parklets
are distinct from both the plazas and parking space parklets,
as they require a different permit than the now -standard
permit used for parklets.
Implementation and Maintenance
Each applicant —typically a business owner, community
benefit district, non-profit or resident —agrees to certain
responsibilities. The applicant must be willing to pay for the
construction costs of the parklet. The applicant also agrees
40 RE(:! AIK41IV(a i IiE RI(ali i of wtiv
to provide day-to-day maintenance of the parklet, including
the storage of movable tables and chairs, and the cleaning
of trash. The applicant must show the city evidence of at
least $1 million in liability insurance and name the City and
County of San Francisco as additionally insured. The city
grants successful applicants a revocable lease and issues
a temporary occupancy use permit to install a parklet. The
following fee structure is imposed for projects designed and
constructed by outside parties:19
• $791 base fee for all applications; and
• $650 for up to two parking meter removals
(required only if meters currently exist);
• $191.50 to pay for site inspection before and
after installation; and
• $285 additional base fee for each parking stall
used beyond the first two,
• $325 additional fee for each additional meter
removal beyond the first two (required only if
meters currently exist,)
• $221 for yearly permit renewal.
Successes and Challenges
The non-profit organization Great Streets SF conducted
an evaluation of the Divisadero Street parklet, located in
front of Mojo Bicycle Caf6.20 Researchers found that the
number of pedestrians increased by an average of 13
percent after the installation of the parklet, with the greatest
increases on weekday evenings.
According to San Francisco planners, the biggest
success of the Pavement to Parks program is helping the
public to re -imagine creations in the city's rights -of -way. In
the case of parklets, by recasting spaces for cars as spaces
for people, local merchants have a new way to interact
with the community and attract new customers. San
Francisco planning staff also report that many businesses,
especially caf6s and restaurants, have experienced marked
revenue increases since the installation of a nearby parklet,
resulting in increased sales tax revenue for the city and in
some cases increased jobs, as restaurants hire additional
staff to meet increased demand.
However, the goal of these installations is not for
increased business revenues, but for a creation of public
space and a catalyst for community development.
Parklets provide merchants of all varieties another way
to engage with their community which is not solely
based on a marketplace interaction. For example,
after installing a parklet, its steward in the Mission District
initiated a local farmers market in the neighborhood,
the Mission Community Market. Now, the city and the
neighborhood are looking to redesign the street to
better facilitate this market. This example demonstrates
how parklets in San Francisco are acting as a catalyst
for incremental interventions in the public realm.
In terms of challenges, some businesses have not
been great stewards of their spaces. There have been
a few incidents of businesses turning away members
of the public who were not their patrons from using
the parklet. The city must enforce and follow up on
complaints to prevent the misuse of parklets and has
the right to revoke the permit at any time. Yearly permit
renewal is thus a useful tool for the City to ensure that
parklet stewards adhere to the rules of operation.
REC! NIMIIN(a THE RIGHT OF WADY 41
NEW--..
Figure 32. Devil's Teeth parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: San Francisco Pavement to Parks
42 HE(.�LAIMllq(a T liE NicaiA T OF INAY
According to city planner Andres Power,
parklets have been so popular, (more than
100 applications) that the amount of city
resources required to review the proposals
and issue the permits is becoming a concern
for the city. Regardless, this public -private
partnership model that is supported by
community -driven demand, strives to bring
more public spaces to the city.
Figure 33. Powel I Street Promenade,
San Francisco, CA.
Credit: SFMTA Livable Streets Division
Figure 34. Planters, Powell Street Promenade,
San Francisco, CA.
Credit: SFMTA Livable Streets Division
RECLAIMINGA THE RIGW i OF INKY 43
I
AIL
vm
Oil
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�4�4 REC! AIKAING' THE RIG i OF WAY
Montreal
Origins and Goals
City staff members in Montreal are uncertain as to
when parklets first appeared in the city. Montreal has long
allowed on -street patio decks, (called terraces in Montreal)
as requested by local businesses to increase their outdoor
seating without impinging on sidewalk space (figure 36).
A current wave of interest in parklets stems from the
Avenue Verte — Mont Royal initiative. This large parklet
along Mont -Royal, a major commercial street in Montreal,
brings attention to the idea of livable commercial streets,
which combine places for people, nature, and vehicles.
The Mont -Royal Avenue Street Association supports having
terraces while retaining automobile access to the street.
While Montreal has not yet institutionalized a robust parklet
program, the city did update and standardize its permitting
process for parklets (terraces) in 2007. There are now over 90
terraces installed seasonally in Montreal.
Planning Process and Design Development
Similar to other cities, typical parklet sites in Montreal
are on -street parking spaces located adjacent to the
applicant business (cafe, restaurant, or bar). The street
space remains public, and the permit only allows for
temporary occupation. The presence of on -street terraces
must not cause nuisance to pedestrians or danger to
residents and users.
Figure 36. Terrasse, Montreal, Quebec.
Credit: Laurence Parent
The process to develop a terrace begins with a business
submitting an application to the city. Site criteria used by the
city to determine approval include:21
• Maintain a minimum continuous linear sidewalk
width of 1.8 m (5.9 ft.).
• Maintain a 1 m (3.3 ft.) buffer between the
terrace and the travel lane.
• Maintain a 0.5 m (1.65 ft.) buffer between
terrace furniture and street furniture (benches,
trees, bins, parking meters, etc.). Can request
to move some street furniture.
• Must be located directly in front of the
establishment it serves and have a maximum
width equal to the business frontage. If
this width cannot be achieved due to the
presence of a bus stop or minimum distance
from an intersection, the operator may apply,
with agreement from neighboring business,
to extend to a width of 30 percent of the
neighboring business frontage.
• Not allowed in bus stop areas, in lanes
dedicated for buses, or any place deemed
unsafe by Public Works.
• Not allowed within 5 m (16.4 ft.) from
intersections.
RECLAIMING THE RIGHT OF WAY 45
The size of a typical on -street terrace is one parking
space, but as noted above, the precise size depends
on the business frontage and conformance with the
aforementioned site criteria. The number of terraces
varies by year, based on applications received, and they
are installed during the warmer weather months (April to
October), often on popular destination streets. Terraces
have become a popular fixture in Montreal with some
neighborhoods having several along their commercial
streets. These parklets are considered public space.
Figure 37. Terrasse, Montreal, Quebec.
Credit: Alain Quevillon
46 F?E(:! AINAIIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF 1NAY
However, there are certain time restrictions: terraces are
only open to the public from 7 am to 11 pm (Sunday
through Thursday) and from 7 am to midnight (Friday and
Saturday.)
Additionally, the permit guidelines detail the following
design requirements:
• Terraces must have a guardrail along the entire
perimeter (except 1.8 m. entry).
• Planter boxes must be provided along the two
end -sides with a minimum weight of 75 kg. (165
lb.) and a minimum height of 0.5 m. (1.65 ft.).
These boxes act as bollards to protect against
parking maneuvers. Boxes must be planted
with flowering plants (perennials or annuals).
• Hedges (between 1-1.5 m. / 3.3-4.9 ft.) are
required along the entire length along the
street and parking sides. A list of accepted
shrubs to compose the hedge is provided in
the guidelines.
• Alternative planting requires a proposal to be
submitted to Public Works.
• Floor of the terrace to be at the same level
over its entire area, taking into account the
crown of the road. Floor should be constructed
of wooden slats or plywood with a smooth
surface of a natural wood color.
• Railings should be constructed of metal
(painted black) or wood.
• Furniture should not be constructed of or
contain PVC; it should be sturdy, durable, and
designed to be outdoors.
• No sound amplification system is permitted.
• No heating system is permitted.
• No vinyl, canvas, cloth attached to the railings
is allowed.
• No advertising on the terrace is allowed.
• Umbrellas must not carry advertising, must not
extend past the terrace, must not affect visibility
of signage, and must be secured to withstand
wind stresses.
Implementation and Maintenance
The City of Montr6al requires a permit for parklet
installation. Permits are administered and managed by the
Division des Etudes techniques — Direction des travaux
publics (Public Works) for the specific arrondissement
(district). Applications must come from the owner of the
applicant establishment; a joint application from adjacent
businesses is also possible. The cost of the permit application
is $600, while the cost of a 6-month permit is $7,625 for a
street with parking meters and $2,207 for a street without
parking meters. Costs are estimates and depend on the
precise area taken up by the terrace. The cost for the
parklet installation is completely the responsibility of the
applicant business.
The business is also responsible for the maintenance of
the terrace and the cleanliness of the sidewalk (including a
street section triangle 2.5 m x 2.5 m, or 8.2 x 8.2 ft, on each
side of the parklet where the city street sweeper cannot
clean). Cleaning of the terrace and sidewalk is to be done
each evening after the business closes.
The operator must hold liability insurance of $2 million.
The operator is liable for any damages, theft, or loss and is
responsible for terrace use. The city is not liable for any injury
due to accident or incident within the boundaries of the
terrace or caused by it.
RE(:. AIK4114(a i IWE RI(al-I i OF INKY 47
Successes and Challenges
Although on -street terraces are a long-standing
practice in Montr6al, the driving force for these parklets
comes from local businesses rather than through an official
city program. Consequently, there has not been a city -
sponsored evaluation of the terraces to determine impact,
successes, and challenges. Regardless, parklets appear to
be a success in Montr6al as indicated by their popularity
and the city's standardized permitting process for terraces.
While the cost undertaken by the business champion is not
trivial, our interviews indicated that many business owners
see value in parklets.
48 RECLAIK4IIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF INAY
New York City
Figure 38. Pop -Up Cafe, Fika, New York City, NY.
Credit: Sam Smith
Origins and Goals
New York City's Department of Transportation (NYC
DOT) received a letter in January 2010 from a group of
businesses in Lower Manhattan requesting permission to
construct additional outdoor seating in the public realm
near their establishments. Ineligible for a sidewalk cafe
permit (see figure 39 for traditional sidewalk cafe) because
of the narrow sidewalks in front of their establishments, these
businesses requested seating in the parking spaces abutting
the sidewalk. The business applicants sought conceptual
approval from the local NYC Community Board (similar to
neighborhood councils or other citizen elected/appointed
groups) as well as advice from San Francisco planners who
had already installed parklets in their city.
The timing was right. At the time of the businesses'
request, NYC DOT staff members were already aware of
similar interventions in San Francisco and had preliminary
discussions on the feasibility of transforming parking
spaces into mini parks in NYC, a longer -term version of the
installations already taking place in NYC on Park(ing) Day.
Also as a key precedent, NYC had already successfully
converted larger swaths of road space into pedestrian
public space, notably through their previously discussed
Pavement to Plazas program and the Green Light for
Midtown project, which closed sections of Broadway in
Midtown Manhattan for increased pedestrian space,
including large pedestrian plazas at Times Square and
Herald Square.
Consequently, NYC staff partnered with the applicant
businesses in Lower Manhattan to pilot a parklet, referred to
in NYC as a "pop-up cafe." San Francisco staff connected
them with architects and deck contractors who were willing
to donate pro Bono or at cost services for the pilot parklet.
The first pop-up cafe was installed in New York in the summer
of 2010 in front of two restaurants, Bombay's and FIKA, along
Pearl Street in Lower Manhattan.
The city plans to launch an ongoing program to replace
the pilot program soon. The goal for this parklet/pop-up cafe
program is "to provide seasonal outdoor public seating in
the parking lane of the street as an amenity to pedestrians
at places where sidewalk seating is not available, and to
build well -designed public open spaces that invite people
to stay.1122 The city also expects pop-up cafes to beautify
the street, foster walking and social interaction, contribute
positively to street life, and complement other public space
initiatives. Its final objective is economic development, with
the hope that pop-up cafes increase pedestrian traffic and
thus bring more customers to local businesses.
RE(:. AIK41i4ca liE NicaiA T of wtiY 49
Figure 39. Traditional sidewalk cafe seating, New York City, NY.
Credit: Ted Jensen
50 RECLAIMINca THE RIGAH T OF WAY
Planning Process and Design Development
Based on the success of the initial pilot project and
following a letter of support from the Community Board, city
staff issued a city-wide call for new parklet locations, based
on initial and basic development criteria. They received 29
applications, with the city ultimately selecting three sites for
installation in 2011 (in addition to the one installed in 2010).
The city cannot estimate how many more pop-up
cafes will be installed in 2012 and 2013. There will be a rolling
application process with no deadlines. NYC staff will review
applications and proposed sites using technical criteria
that take into account the physical features of the site
and its traffic characteristics. For instance, the city typically
allows parklets only at locations with low -speed and low -
volume vehicular traffic and on one-way streets. Parklets
are currently allowed only in front of commercial/retail
establishments (initially only in front of cafes and restaurants),
and can only be located in parking spaces along the curb.
More detailed technical criteria include:23
• The street characteristics must be deemed
suitable for parklet installations by DOT.
Typically, this means it would be a one-
way street that has no more than one lane
of moving vehicle traffic. Sites close to
intersections or driveways or where turns or
lane changes occur could be rejected due to
safety concerns.
• The lane along the curb cannot be a moving
lane of traffic at any time of day.
• The parking regulations at the curb must be
suitable for parklet installation. Examples of
unsuitable sites include bus stops, fire zones,
authorized vehicle parking, or no stopping
zones.
• The site must not have elements obstructing
the use of the platform or that require regular
access such as fire hydrants, driveways, or
newsstands. Certain types of underground
utilities may not be suitable locations for
curbside seating platforms.
The size of the parklet (how many parking spaces
it occupies) is determined by the business frontage. The
first pop-up cafe built in front of two adjacent restaurants
occupied five parking spaces. The other three parklets
ranged from two to four parking spaces.
Local
Bombay/s and FIKA
Q Ecnpnls
LA
sip
Figure 40. Pop-up cafe locations, New York City, NY.
Credit: NYC Department of Transportation
In terms of other requirements, the city mandates that
parklets have plantings, but is flexible in regards to the type
of plantings and other design elements. The city also requires
signage, to be located at either end of the parklet, stating
that it is an open public space. There are restrictions on the
RE(.! Nin4ii4(a liE Nicaii T of wAY 51
hours for seating, and the adjacent establishment is required
to store seating when they close or at the hours stipulated
by the Community Board.
The estimated cost for each parklet is about $20,000,
with the costs for design, construction, and maintenance to
be covered by the applicant/operator. The city discovered
that it is sometimes difficult for businesses to create and
pay for the design work. Therefore, NYC DOT asked an
architecture intern to develop some schematic designs
that future applicants can use. While city staff does not
want to develop restrictive standardized designs for all pop-
up cafes, the city would like to be able to support future
applicants by providing examples of design lessons learned.
Implementation and Maintenance
Applicants are required to 1) obtain Community Board
approval; 2) prepare a design for approval based on the
design guidelines; and 3) sign a legal agreement for the
maintenance and insurance of the parklet. Insurance should
cover liability of $1 to 3 million ($1 million for one parklet or $2
million in the aggregate with an additional $1 million liability
to cover any vehicle damage). The city retains ownership of
the land, and there is no lease. The adjacent establishment
is not granted any rights to the pop-up cafe property, but
has an obligation for its maintenance.
:�2 REC AIMING i HE RI(aW i OF 1Nl�l'
The Traffic and Planning Division's Public Spaces Unit in
the NYC DOT administers the parklet program. Regulation
and review take place internally at DOT, and there are
no new ordinances issued for the pilot program. After an
applicant submits an application, DOT reviews the technical
feasibility based on the above stated criteria and, if
appropriate, issues a notice of preliminary approval to the
applicant. At this point, the applicant prepares professionally
certified design plans, which are once again reviewed by
the DOT. After DOT approval, the applicant must submit the
annual authorization agreement including the maintenance
agreement issued by DOT. The maintenance agreement is
effectively a permit because it specifically states permission
to use the space by the adjacent establishment, and there
is no cost for this agreement. Before the site is constructed,
DOT installs new signage including any changes in parking
regulation, parking stops, and flexible bollards.
Community Board approval is the official public vetting
process for these projects. DOT advises and expects the
applicants to do outreach in their area prior to requesting
the approval of the Community Board. Applications require
the signature of the property owner who is also expected to
engage other building tenants and neighboring businesses.
k r.Z�
Figure 41. Flexible bollard and wheel stop, New York City, NY.
Credit: NYC Department of Transportation
Successes and Challenges
DOT conducted a simple post -occupancy evaluation
of the initial pilot site. A time-lapse video showed that 96
people used the parklet in one day. These included children
playing, seniors resting, and other people interacting with
neighbors or their dogs. Although the count did not reveal
significant increases in pedestrian volumes, Edward Janoff,
city planner for the NYC DOT, notes that pop-up caf6s utilize
parking spaces efficiently and with flexibility.
"The parklets fit very well with a message the city
is emphasizing: city streets don't need to function
the same way all the time. Just because the street
is designed with concrete and asphalt, it doesn't
need to be used for the same thing. It can be for
driving sometimes, and for walking or sitting other
times; it can be flexible.1124
RECLAIMING THE RIGHT OF WAY 53
Yet some minor challenges exist. The parklets
have experienced some vandalism, although no other
maintenance issues have emerged to date. Thus far, the
pop-up caf6s have experienced a few challenges from
neighborhoods that oppose additional pedestrian traffic.
Smoking is prohibited at parklets but ensuring compliance is
difficult. The city has also faced a problem with an operator
(a restaurant) doing formal table service at the site and had
to call and remind the business that the parklet is public.
All in all, there have not been any serious problems,
written complaints, or bad press. All four parklets were
installed and then easily taken apart during the winter
season. According to Mr. Janoff, all operators are glad that
they installed and maintained the parklets and would do it
again. The city views the parklet program as a success.
54 REC Ain ING' T WE Nicaiq T OF WAY
Vancouver
Origins and Goals
Interest in parklets for Vancouver
grew when city staff from the Engineering
Department's Street Activities Branch
learned about parklets in New York City
from NYC Transportation Commissioner
Janette Sadik-Khan, who visited
Vancouver in 2010. In addition, staff from
San Francisco's parklet program met
with Vancouver staff at the 2010 Walk21
conference to share knowledge on how
to make parklets successful.
Against this backdrop, Vancouver
received a "parklet-like" proposal
during the 2011 Viva Vancouver call for
proposals process. Viva Vancouver is
a city initiative to activate streets and
public spaces, building from Vancouver's
successful Car -Free Day (see figure 42)
and a desire to promote alternative uses
of streets and roadways. The initiator of
this first proposal envisioned a parklet that would "move"
every week from one location to another within the city's
Mount Pleasant neighborhood. After the proposal was
short-listed for further consideration by the Viva selection
committee, city staff asked the designer if he was willing to
have the installation remain in one place for a longer period
of time, and he agreed.
Another parklet followed in 2011, and the parklets
are now a key part of the Viva Vancouver program. The
objectives of this program are to "transform road spaces
into people places" and experiment with new ways to
increase the flexibility of roadway infrastructure in order to
create a more vibrant public realm for pedestrians. The
official goals are to:25
• Create a variety of public spaces for a mix of
engaging activities and sojourning.
• Increase neighborhood livability benefiting
residents, businesses, community groups, and
visitors.
• Encourage sustainable and active
transportation by creating more safe and
interesting spaces for walking and cycling.
RE(:. AIM114(a i IAE RI(al-I i OF INAY 55
Planning Process and Design Development
The City of Vancouver's Call for Proposals resulted
in the first two parklets, both of which are located on city
property and maintained by the city rather than being
leased to adjacent business owners. These two parklets differ
in character and design. Parallel Park is the only curbside
parklet and takes up two parking spaces (approximately
500 sq. ft.) on a side street adjacent to a cafe. Installed
in September 2011, the structure is now considered semi-
permanent. The other parklet, referred to as Picnurbia,
is located on a street temporarily closed to vehicles.
Picnurbia was also installed in the summer of 2011, and is
approximately three parking spaces in length.
Site selection was an iterative process. For instance, the
curb -side cafe parklet at Parallel Park involved the designer
and local business improvement association (BIA) identifying
three possible locations. The final location was determined
collectively by the designer, city staff, and the BIA.
Criteria for site selection included parklet proximity to high
pedestrian volumes and retail as well as both sun exposure
and shade from trees.
56 REC Ain ING' T HE RIGAH T OF WAY
f �-/�00
}
Figure 43. Parallel Park, Vancouver, BC.
Credit: VIVA Vancouver
Specific design features were not specified by the city;
rather, staff reviewed submittals to the Call for Proposals and
approved parklet designs. Considered public space, the two
parklets featured prominent signage to highlight this fact
Implementation and Maintenance
The city hopes to streamline processes and create
tools so that the parklet model can live on outside of the
experimental platform that Viva provides —likely as a cousin
to the city's existing patio program, which permits tables
and chairs on the sidewalk. According to city planner
Krisztina Kassay, more parklets are expected to be installed
in 2012 as a result of the Call for Proposals. However, the city
would like to find sponsors for this "expansion phase." The
city provided construction and installation support as well as
financed the liability insurance for the Picnurbia parklet. In
addition, city staff time and in -kind services provided by the
designer and builder were used for both Picnurbia and the
Parallel Park.
The city does not issue permits for parklets, but may
do so if the parklet model can successfully expand to
more neighborhoods. Staff members anticipate that
future permitting will be done through the Engineering
RE(:. AIM114(a i IAE RI(al-I i OF INAY 57
Department's Street Activities Branch, which is also
responsible for issuing permits for the existing patio program.
When the Picnurbia parklet was installed, city solid -
waste crew members maintained it by picking up garbage
during their routine cleaning. The Parallel Park installation is
continuously maintained by staff from the adjacent cafe.
Cafe staff clean the parklet daily, which includes sweeping
the ground and collecting ceramic cups and saucers left
behind.
Parklet installation also requires designers to have
professional liability insurance. However, thus far the city
has covered all insurance costs when the designers did not
have the resources for the liability insurance. In the future,
the city would like to preclude the need for extra liability
insurance by having parklets at street segments, where the
city already provides coverage for the street and sidewalks.
Successes and Challenges
The City of Vancouver evaluated the Parallel Park using
a mail -in resident survey, time-lapse photography, and face-
to-face meetings with the managers of the two adjacent
cafes. The manager and owner of these cafes are very
supportive of having a parklet nearby and believe that it
58 F?E(:! AIKAIIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF INAY
has increased foot traffic to their business; however, this has
not been formally tracked. The city had a relatively good
response rate (13 percent) to their mail -in resident survey,
with many respondents including contact information. Over
60 percent of the survey respondents viewed the structure
as a community asset, irrespective of whether or not they
had spent time on it. After the parklet's installation, the
city also put signage on the structure asking pedestrians to
contact the city and give their evaluation. Overall, people
enjoy the extra space that the parklets create and some
even use them throughout the rainy fall and winter seasons.
The city considers it a success that Parallel Park has
not been vandalized. The concerns and fears of nearby
residents that the parklet would become a haven for drug
dealing and late night drinking have not materialized
Nevertheless, public engagement could be improved
during the planning phase, a challenge given that parklet
projects are designed to move quickly from concept to
implementation. According to city planner Krisztina Kassay,
staff could "certainly do more to keep those who have
indicated interest in Viva Vancouver engaged and have
them be our champions at -large." The city's community
engagement specialists in the Corporate Communications
Department are in the process of designing a more robust
engagement strategy.
An ongoing challenge has been that, even with
a large sign that says "public seating" attached to the
structure, many assume that the seating belongs to the
adjacent caf6. An additional challenge relates to resources
and funding for parklets as the program expands to more
areas in 2012. The city hopes that business will view parklets
as a benefit and provide at least some in -kind support.
Philadelphia
Figure 44: Park Iet, Philadelphia, PA.
Credit: Philly Bike Coalition
a_
REC! NINIV I THE RIGHT OF WAY 59
Origins and Goals
In 2011, Philadelphia's University City
District (UCD) received grant funding
to develop innovative place -making
programs. This community organization
approached the Mayor's Office of
Transportation and Utilities at the same
time that this office was looking to
develop a pedestrian amenities program.
With support offered by the William
Penn Foundation, UCD was able to build
two parklets at a cost of approximately
$10,000 per parklet. The first two sites in
the University City District were piloted in
2011.
Philadelphia's goal for its parklet
effort is to build pedestrian -friendly spaces
for community members to enjoy. Building
off the success of the UCD pilot project,
Philadelphia is now piloting a citywide
program. As such, the city provided
$5,000 grants to five organizations (not
including the UCD) in the 2012 pilot
8ES
5:
77.�
-M Cr.f' s g�#•� }urp Wag
FR•3 s
Figure 46. Wheel stop and flexible bollard, Philadelphia, PA.
Credit: Philly Bicycle Coalition
RE(:. AIM1i4ca IAE Nicaii T of IVAY 61
phase. These funds are assisting some more pilot projects,
but will not be an ongoing feature of the formal program.
The city is working to transition its parklet pilot program into
a permanent program, which involves formalizing and
streamlining the planning, design, and permitting processes
so as to encourage future applicants to participate.
Planning Process and Design Development
As previously discussed, the University City District
proposed the first two pilot parklet locations, receiving
approval from the Mayor's Office. Both parklets were sited
in two former parking spaces. One parklet was located next
to a park and the other in front of a cafe. The city's primary
criterion in site selection was, and remains, location along
streets with a low speed limit. This is based on examples from
other cities, indicating that successful parklets are typically
located on streets with low speed limits (25 mph or less). The
city also prefers to locate parklets along active commercial
corridors and high -density residential areas.
The city prefers locations outside of the Central
Business District (CBD) to avoid resistance from the CBD
business community on reduction of parking space. Most
parking locations outside of the CBD have parking meters,
but demand for parking is lower there and the amount
62 RE(.�L ►IMllgca liE NicaiA T OF INAY
of revenue loss due to the conversion of parking spots
to parklets is not substantial. Applicants are responsible
for seeking approval from a minimum of 51 percent of
adjacent property owners at an early stage to avoid conflict
and delays. This process is a proven method for gaining
community approval, as it is the same process the city
follows to designate a city -sponsored car -sharing site.
Parklets in Philadelphia exist from May to October
and then are disassembled because of harsh weather
during other months of the year. Therefore, the city has
pursued a design model that ensures ease of assembly and
disassembly. The city also pursues a certain commonality in
the design features and materials to achieve cost savings.
Parklets need to be ADA accessible and include safety
features such as wheel stops and flexible bollards (figure 46).
No table service is permitted at the parklets.
Implementation and Maintenance
The Philadelphia Department of Streets issues a
temporary license to applicants. No additional permits are
required to establish a parklet. The Streets Department is
also required to sign off on the temporary license. A new
ordinance may be introduced in the near future, assuming
that more parklets are installed. The pilot projects did not
require maintenance agreements, insurance, or liability
commitments. A maintenance agreement and proof
of liability insurance will be required as the program is
formalized and standardized.
Community groups and businesses are in charge of the
day-to-day maintenance of parklets. This includes putting
away seats at night to discourage vagrancy. Yet the city is
willing to be flexible if the residents want nighttime access to
the parklet.
Successes and Challenges
There has been no formal evaluation of the two
parklets, but anecdotal evidence suggests that both are
well received by community members and have created
demand for more parklets in other locations. Parklet users
are residents of the neighborhood and customers of
the adjacent coffee shop. The parklet adjacent to the
Green Line Caf6 has successfully helped to attract new
customers, with the caf6 owner estimating that the parklet
has increased business revenue by nearly 20 percent.26 The
second parklet has not been as successful, possibly because
the site is less visible than the installation near the Green Line
Caf6.
RE(:. AIM114(a i IWE RI(ali i OF INAY 63
The funding the city provided in the second pilot round
is supporting parklet construction in other neighborhoods.
There was a great deal of interest expressed once the
notice of funding opportunity appeared. This was especially
helpful for areas of lower rents where people were less likely
to build a parklet, if the financial support was not available.
This includes a proposed parklet in front of Logan Library in a
predominantly African American neighborhood. According
to city staff, some parklet installations are good for place
making, while others for commercial vitality. Nevertheless,
the best parklets are good for both.
The lack of coordination between businesses,
community members, and various departments within
the city presents a challenge to implementation. The
city, however, expects that formalizing the permitting
and installation processes with more clear expectations,
design guidelines, and deadlines will help overcome such
challenges. The city also prefers that the parklet sponsors
allocate more resources for better design options. As the
second round of pilot projects is installed, the design options
will likely expand.
64 F?E(:! AINAIIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF 1NAY
Long Beach
Origins and Goals
Many retail and restaurant businesses on Fourth Street
in Long Beach expressed interest in parklets. Fourth Street is
a sort of main street, with a mix of small-scale retail stores --
such as cafes, restaurants, offices, and movie theaters-- on
the ground floor and residential units on the upper floors.
In the recent past, many of the small businesses on this
street struggled to compete with new shopping malls.
In response, physical improvements and the renovation
of a local theater helped to increase the number of
people patronizing restaurants along the corridor. Space -
Figure 47. Berlin parklet, Long Beach, CA.
Credit: Daniel Faessler
constrained and unable to accommodate its increased
business, Lola's restaurant became interested in creating a
parklet to enhance seating capacity.
During the same time, the City of Long Beach was
interested in invigorating its main street to prevent any
deterioration resulting from the rise in shopping malls.
Inspired by the Pavements to Plazas program of San
Francisco and the pop-up cafes of New York, city staff
anticipated that parklets could support these objectives
and have a "street calming" effect. Thus, the city initiated a
parklet program in 2010.
Since then, two parklets have been installed in front
of two restaurants: Lola's and Berlin. Two more parklets are
in the planning and design stage. The first two parklets are
located in commercial corridors with substantial pedestrian
traffic and are sponsored by the adjacent restaurants.
They primarily function as outdoor sidewalk dining spaces
for these businesses. Unlike parklets in other cities, in Long
Beach the sponsoring business can technically limit use of
the parklet to only its customers. While the restaurants do
not explicitly object to the public using their parklets, the
parklets are predominantly used by restaurant patrons. The
land occupied by the parklets is located on the city's right-
of-way and is temporarily leased to the private businesses to
operate the facility.
Planning Process and Design Development
A single architect and contractor designed and
constructed both parklets. The city does not issue design
specifications and does not stipulate design elements for
parklets, other than a minimum area of one parking stall,
with at least 7 feet parallel and 15 feet perpendicular to the
road.27 Site selection criteria are currently open-ended and
site feasibility is determined on a case -by -case basis. First, an
interested business owner has to make a proposal. The city
NEc:! Arn4iivca IAE NicaiA T of INAv 65
then verifies the site characteristics such as size, location,
adjacent property, and street features to assess the viability
of the project.
Approval and recommendations are sought from the
Department of Water and Power, Department of Traffic, and
Fire Department. After these departments grant approval,
the City Council grants the final permit. Adjacent property
owners are notified and should also approve the conversion
of parking spaces to a parklet. Once the approval
conditions are met, the city issues an occupancy permit for
installation per Municipal code, Section 14.14.
Figure 48. Berlin parklet, Long Beach, CA.
Credit: Daniel Faessler
66 F?E(:! AINAIIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF 1NAY
Implementation and Maintenance
The business owner or any entity leasing the land for
a parklet is responsible for the regular maintenance of the
facility. The city requires that the permittee maintains liability
insurance for the entire permit period, and the amount can
range from $1 million to $2 million. The permit is valid for
one year and is eligible for renewal, provided there are no
changes to the facility. Applicants pay $819 per year for the
processing of the permit.
Successes and Challenges
The two parklets are achieving the objective of
increasing restaurant serving space and stimulating business.
Restaurant patrons often gravitate to seating in the parklet
rather than the indoor seating area. The parklets' popularity
is partly attributable to their location on a busy street with
many bus lines and a recently designated bike route.
According to Michael Bohn, project designer, the creation
of the parklets has contributed to two full-time and four part-
time employment positions in the adjacent restaurants.
On the other hand, some have been critical of the
Long Beach parklets because of their more private nature
compared to the parklets in other cities. While other cities
are explicit about the public nature of their parklets,
the public can use the Long Beach parklets only at the
discretion of the business operator. As editorialized in the LA
Weekly:28
"How, then, can this truly be a park? The tables
obviously are reserved for customers, who on a
sunny Tuesday afternoon seemed to be enjoying
themselves even without margaritas (an alcohol
permit is pending). The short answer is, it's not a
park. In addition to the modified liquor license and
additional insurance required for the new space,
Lola's owner, Luis Navarro, paid for the parklet:
approximately $20,000 plus the cost of those chairs
and tables. It's fantastic visibility for his restaurant
and a great investment to expand his business, but
shouldn't it be called what it is: a private patio ... in
the street?"
Oakland
Figure 49. Rendering of 40th Street, Oakland, CA.
Credit: Andrea Gaffney and Justin Viglianti
RECLAIMING THE RIGHT OF WADY 67
Origins and Goals
Support for parklets in Oakland has come from many
different groups. Many residents and business owners
repeatedly met with city officials and council members
to push for a parklet program, with Walk Oakland/Bike
Oakland, a group active in advocating for pedestrian
improvements, mounting a parklet campaign. In addition,
the success of parklets in nearby San Francisco along with
the popularity of Park(ing) Day in Oakland built momentum
for parklets. The City of Oakland became interested in
translating the temporary Park(ing) Day event into a longer -
term and more permanent program for Oakland.
Oakland initiated a pilot parklet program in the fall of
2011. The main objective for this program is to increase and
attract pedestrians and economic activity in commercial
areas. The city hopes to create a more pedestrian -friendly
environment and provide spaces for people to sit and relax.
68 REC! AIMING' i HE RIGW i OF WAY
According to city planner Blair Miller, formerly with the
Oakland Redevelopment Agency,
"Parklets can be an innovative way to improve the
pedestrian experience in Oakland. We hope all
residents will benefit from the creativity and initiative
of private businesses and community groups in the
creation of unique, attractive urban spaces."
Planning Process and Design Development
Although no parklets currently exist in Oakland at the
time of this writing, several parklets will soon be installed.
The city released a Notice of Opportunities to encourage
applications for parklets throughout the city. The city
published a notice for applicants to apply for a parklet;
a maximum of eight parklets could have been approved
for the pilot program with a goal of one parklet in each of
the eight council districts. Applicants had to demonstrate
a suitable location, community support, a clear and well
thought out design, and evidence that the parklet would
be well -maintained. The city primarily considered location of
the proposed parklet, the vision of the applicants, and their
ability to take it to completion. A $150 application fee was
required to be considered for a parklet.
Seven applications were complete enough to move
forward, just shy of the goal to have one parklet in each of
the eight council districts. The seven completed applications
came from two caf6s, a bakery, a photography shop, a
retail shop, a homeowner, and a condominium association.
The city established the following process for parklet
implementation:
1. City of Oakland releases Notice of Opportunity.
2. Interested parties respond to the notice with
preliminary design sketches, demonstrated
community support and evidence of
maintenance capability and $150 application fee.
3. City of Oakland selects sites that can move
forward.
4. Design Review Exempt process begins and the
city reviews plans checking for basic safety
guidelines (see below.)
5. Public notice of future parklet is posted for 17
calendar days.
6. If no concerns are raised during the public
notice period, a Noticing Permit is granted.
7. Applicants apply for encroachment permit
(with $1,100 fee) with full construction drawings.
8. Once encroachment permit is granted,
applicants can begin construction.
City staff worked with the City Attorney's Office to
create the required paperwork for the encroachment
permit and the maintenance agreement. The minor
encroachment permit carries a processing fee of about
$1,100. The city requires applicants to notify the public of
their intent prior to applying for their encroachment permit.
Public notice is required at this early stage so that interested
parties could voice concerns sooner rather than later, in
the hopes that all issues are addressed before finalizing
construction drawings and other later steps.
At the time of this writing, only two sites had received
approval of their encroachment permits. One of these
parklets will be located at Alcatraz Avenue near San Pablo
Avenue and is sponsored by Actual Cafe. The other parklet
will be located near the intersection of 40th Street and
Webster Street and is sponsored by Subrosa Coffee and
Manifesto Bicycles. The other five sites are in earlier stages of
development.
The city does not stipulate design guidelines but does
have safety guidelines, including curb distances and bollard
distance specifications. The City Engineer reviews the
designs to ensure that they include features such as 42-inch
high railings along the road edge. Parklets must be located
at least one parking spot away from a street corner and
RE(:. AIK41i4ca liE NicaiA T of wtiY 69
cannot be along a street with a speed limit of more than
25 mph. They may be allowed in white (loading zones) and
green (ten minute parking) zones if the entity that requested
these zones agrees to re -purpose the curb area. Parklets
cannot be placed in front of a fire hydrant or in a way that
restricts access to any private or public utility. Parklets shall
also not be placed in front of or adjacent to a multi -space
parking meter kiosk; a minimum clearance of six feet shall
be maintained around all kiosks.
Implementation and Maintenance
The city is considering amending the municipal code to
include parklets and allowing a limited number of parklets to
be approved twice a year through an application process
similar to a request for proposal (RFP). The initial application
process for the pilot program was started by the Community
Redevelopment Agency (CRA). Upon dissolution of the
CRA, parklet permitting moved to the Planning Department,
which issues the noticing permit and reviews initial design.
The Building Department is then responsible for the
final review and plan approval for the encroachment
permit.
70 NECLAIMINGA THE RICHA T OF WAY
The applicant/parklet sponsor must cover construction,
maintenance, and insurance costs. The city subsidizes staff
time and some of the application/permitting fees. Each
parklet site must be cost -neutral. Therefore, revenue lost
from parking meters has to be compensated elsewhere. The
city staff must create a new metered space to replace the
one lost by the parklet or the applicant must pay the city
the lost meter revenue up to $14,442.44 per space. Six of
the proposed parklets are located in free parking spaces,
and only one has been proposed in two metered parking
spaces. Replacement meters are being installed at another
nearby location.
Figure 50. Parking kiosk, Oakland, CA.
Credit: Mike Linksvayer
RE(:! AIK4114(a i WE RI(alA i OF INAY 71
The city requires the following of the parklet's sponsor:29 Successes and Challenges
Provide evidence of at least $1 million in Given that no parklets have been installed in Oakland
general liability insurance naming the City of as of this writing, it is too early to evaluate successes and
Oakland as additional insured. challenges of the city's nascent parklet pilot program.
• Sign a Maintenance Agreement with the City
of Oakland that may require the permit holder
to do the following:
A. Keep all plants in good health.
B. Keep parklet free of debris and
grime.
C. Adequately maintain the surface.
D. Sweep out debris from under the
parklet as needed.
E. Once a year before the rainy
season power wash under the Parklet.
Do not allow power wash water to flow
into the storm drain. Use appropriate
storm drain inlet protection and storm
water best management practices. (See
Mobile Cleaners guidelines at http://
cleanwaterprogram.org/resources/
commercial.html )
72 F?E(:! AIKAIIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF INAY
Policy Recommendations
In order for cities to make the most out of their
parklet programs, we present the following list of policy
recommendations based on lessons learned from our case
studies:
Identify residual spaces in priority areas. Not all sites or
all neighborhoods are appropriate for parklets. Parklets
work well where there is a certain level of foot traffic,
where automobile traffic is low -speed, and where
there are surrounding establishments that can provide
a level of natural surveillance. Cities can develop an
inventory of residual spaces in priority areas with low
amounts of open space.
• Provide urban design guidelines. As already
demonstrated by some cities, design guidelines should
not stifle parklet design and experimentation, but must
ensure that appropriate safety standards are met.
Encourage creative parklet design. Parklets can be
functional and aesthetic assets for cities, especially if
they demonstrate unique and innovative architectural
and landscape designs. Cities should encourage
innovation and experimentation in parklet design. At
times, design competitions or charrettes may produce
a rich inventory of ideas about parklet design.
Encourage community appropriate design.
Depending on the community needs and the
character of the surrounding area, parklets
should facilitate passive or active recreation,
include age -specific activities (i.e. for young
children or senior citizens, etc.), and incorporate
neighborhood -specific cultural and landscape
elements in their design.
Streamline permitting process. Part of the
appeal of parklets is that they are relatively
easy to plan and install. Cities should ensure
that the permitting process is simple, low-cost,
and does not deter potential parklet sponsors.
At the same time, permits should be renewed
annually, giving cities the opportunity to monitor
the operation and maintenance of parklets.
Designate lead staff person and public agency.
While various public departments have
jurisdiction over city streets, it is essential that a
particular city agency (and ideally a particular
staff person) takes the lead in coordinating the
parklet planning and installation process.
Streamline maintenance requirements. Cities
should make the expected levels of maintenance
very clear to parklet sponsors and keep a
watchful eye to guarantee that all maintenance
requirements are met. This can be done with an
inspection prior to the renewal of permits.
Conclusion
The seven city programs included in this chapter
represent a range of programs from the most advanced
to nascent. The short time frame between them
demonstrates how quickly parklet programs have spread
across North America. While not every city has conducted
an evaluation of its parklet program, the data that does
exist, along with anecdotal evidence suggests that both
users (residents and customers of local businesses) and
sponsors (typically a business or business association) are
responding positively to parklets and demanding more of
them. All cities discussed in this toolkit plan to expand their
parklet program in some way. Additionally, many more
cities are planning to begin piloting parklet projects in late
2012 or early 2013. This includes Chicago, IL, Asheville, NC,
and Boston, MA, with more cities likely to begin pilots and
programs.
Los Angeles and other cities seeking a pathway
for more parklets can learn from the history, processes,
challenges, and successes of these parklet programs.
For comparison purposes, the table below highlights the
RECLAIMING THE RIGHT OF WAY 73
cities by their number of parklet sites, the city departments
involved in their parklet program, their permit requirements
and costs, required insurance, and duration of the parklets.
The following chapter provides details at a more micro
level to help readers select a project site and design a
parklet based on its specific context.
4 RE(,' Nrn4ii4ca T liE Nicaii T OF 1NNY
Table 1. Summary and Comparison of Parklet Programs
Number of Parklets Departments Permit Required
City Installed Involved and Cost Insurance/Liability
San Francisco
Montreal
New York City
Vancouver
Lead: Department
of City Planning
Coordination:
35 Department of
Public Works,
Municipal
Transportation
Agency, and non-
profit partner
Approximately 90
Department of
Public Works
$791 base fee
$191.50 for
before and after
inspection
$221 Yearly permit
renewal
$600 for application
$7,625 fee with
parking meters
$2,207 fee without
parking meters
$1 million
$2 million
Duration
Year-round;
Applicants must
renew permits
yearly
April - October
Department of
4 Transportation, Cafes must apply $1 - $3 million April 15 -October
Traffic and Planning but no fee required depending on size 14
Division
Engineering Summer:
Department's
No permit required None -conducted (Picnurbia)
2 Street Activities - call for proposals as city project
Branch solicited from artists Semi -permanent:
(Parallel Park)
City
Philadelphia
Long Beach
Oakland
RE(:L►IM114(a i WE RI(aIi i OF INKY 75
Table 1. Summary and Comparison of Parklet Programs (Continued)
Number of Parklets Departments Permit Required
Installed Involved and Cost Insurance/Liability
2
2
7 sites in permitting
process
Lead: Mayor's
Office of
Transportation and
Utilities
Design Review:
Streets Department
Temporary license
issued: Department
of Licenses and
Inspection
Lead: Department
of Public Works
Approval:
Department of
Water and Power,
Department of
Traffic and Fire
Department
Lead: Planning
Department
Reviews: Building
Department
No permit required
$819 with yearly
renewal
$1,100 for a permit
None required to
date - temporary
license
Between $1 million
to $2 million liability
coverage
$1 million in general
liability insurance
Duration
April - October 22
Year-round;
Applicants must
renew permits
yearly
Year-round; yearly
renewal yet to be
determined
76 NE(:! AIM1i4(a T IAE Ni(aiA T of IAJAY
Footnotes
17. San Francisco Pavement to Parks. (2012). Accessed July 18, 2012,
http://sfpave menttoparks.sfplan ning.org/index.htmI
18. San Francisco Planning Department. (November 7, 2011).
"Request for Proposals for Temporary Sidewalk Extensions Parklets,"
accessed July 19, 2012, http://sfpavementtoparks.sfplanning.org/
images/Parklet-Call-for-Projects-1 1071 1.pdf.
19. San Francisco Parklet Request for Proposals. (2012).
20. Pratt, L. (March 18, 2010). "Divisadero Trial Parklet Impact Report,"
accessed July 18, 2012, http://www.greencitiescalifornia.org/sites/all/
files/SF-Divisadero%20Parklet%201mpact%20Report. pdf Great Streets San
Francisco.
21. Le Plateau -Mont -Royal Montr6al. (2011). "Cadre Normatif a
L'6mission Des Permis Pour Les Caf6s en Contre Terrasse Sur Chauss6e Sur
le Domaine Public."
22. New York City Department of Transportation. (2012). "Curbside
Public Seating Sponsored by Local Businesses Evaluation Report,"
accessed July 18, 2012, http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/
curbside -seating pilot-evaluation.pdf.. "- Caf6 Pilot Program Evaluation
Report Program Description."
23. New York City Department of Transportation. (2012). "Pop-up
Caf6: Design Guidelines."
24. Janoff, E. (February 28, 2012). City Planner, Office of Planning
and Sustainability, NYC Department of Transportation. (M. Brozen,
Interviewer)
25. Viva Vancouver. (2012). Accessed July 19, 2012, http://
vancouver.ca/engsvcs/streets/vivavancouver/about.htm.
26 Philadelphia Mayor's Office of Transportation and Utilities. (April
11, 2012). "Parklet Grant Request for Proposals," accessed July 18, 2012,
http://phillymotu.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/parklet-grant-rfp.pdf.."
27. City of Long Beach Municipal Code. (2012). Accessed July 18,
2012, http://library.municode.com/index.aspx?clientld=16115.
28. Walker, A. (January 26, 2012). "Southern California's First `Parklet'
Asks the Question: What is a Park, Really?" LA Weekly, accessed July
18, 2012, http://blogs.laweekly.com/arts/2012/01 /long_beach_parklet_
public_spac.php.
29. City of Oakland. (2011). "Notice of Parklet Opportunity."
��. IDESI(*oiI� CaLJ IDNIV(,E
l
r
!1
Introduction
This purpose of this chapter is to provide practical
guidance on selecting a site and designing a parklet. The
information provided in this chapter was collected through
interviews with parklet designers, business owners, and
city staff from cities where parklets have been planned or
implemented. The first section provides site criteria about
where to build a parklet. Information about how to design
a parklet is then provided through a range of parklet
examples. A well -designed parklet in an ideal location and
with a strong community partner can encourage a vibrant
street life and foster future investment in a neighborhood.
t.1
.61
8 NEc! AiIMInNca THE RIGM T of WAY
How do I Select a Site?
A number of communities are seeking ways to improve
the physical environment by re -purposing road space into
parklets. A first step in the parklet development process
is to select a site. Site selection should be driven by two
main criteria: appropriate physical site characteristics and
a responsible site steward/community partner. Both are
critical for parklet success. For example, an ideal physical
site could exist; however, either through design failure or
an irresponsible steward, a site could fall into disrepair and
not reach the goal of improving the physical environment.
The community partner is typically the adjacent business
who applies for the permit, pays for the construction,
and maintains the parklet after its installation. Criteria for
a physical site and community partner are driven by the
following considerations:
Physical Site Considerations: Required
• Low traffic speeds. Cities with parklet programs
stipulate that parklets should only be installed
in streets with low speed limits, typically 25 mph
or lower. To minimize air pollution exposure
to pedestrians, it is also recommended that
parklets are not installed in areas with high
traffic volumes.
• Existing pedestrian activity. Although parklets
have the potential to increase pedestrian
activity, there should already be demand for
walking in the area.
• Surrounding land uses that can support
pedestrian activity. These commonly include
commercial, high -density residential and
mixed -use areas.
Physical Site Considerations: Recommended
• High visibility from inside adjacent business.
This will provide "eyes on the street" to support
safety for parklet users.
• Adjacent businesses open during normal
business hours or longer. This is particularly
important if there are movable tables and
chairs in the site that must be taken in and out
at night.
• Existing shade trees. Most parklets feature
landscaping; however, this is typically for
greening rather than for providing shade,
particularly because of site visibility issues.
Therefore, it is recommended to select sites
with off -site shade, such as nearby trees.
• Existing street lights on site. For safety
considerations, the ideal parklet site is well lit
at night.
RE(:. AIK4114ca SAE RI(IIA T OF INAY 79
Community Partner Considerations: Required
• Dedicated partner for site upkeep. Partners may
include: adjacent business owners, business
improvement associations/districts, community
groups with close ties to a particular area, or
resident associations. The ideal group should
demonstrate dedication to a specific area
rather than a broad focus.
• Ability to take on $1 million of insurance. Most
parklet applicants already hold this amount of
business insurance.
Community Partner Considerations: Recommended
• Existing cleaning crew. A business improvement
district (BID) can be an ideal partner as
they typically already handle cleaning
responsibilities in the area.
• Previous involvement in sustainability and/
or beautification projects. Parklets programs
typically involve a variety of city departments.
Therefore, prior experience working with city
agencies/departments is helpful.
80 RE(.! AIK4IIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF 1NAY
How do I Design a Site?
Parklet design can be driven both by physical site characteristics and the desired planned duration for the parklet.
There are a variety of different options to be considered. The following table outlines these options and the following section
provides more details that are illustrated with specific parklet projects.
Surrounding Land Use
Residential
Example:
• San Francisco's Deeplet
Commercial
Example:
• Philadelphia's University City
District
Tablet. Parklet Typologies
Parklet Shape
Parallel Parking Space
Example:
• Most of the parklets from San
Francisco's Pavement to Parks
Program
Diagonal Space
Example:
• San Francisco's Devil's Tooth Parklet
Roadway Travel Lane
Example:
• Vancouver's Picnurbia
Traffic Triangle
Example:
• Los Angeles' Sunset Triangle
Duration
One Day
Example:
• Park(ing) Day
Seasonal
Examples:
• New York City's "Pop -Up Cafes"
• Philadelphia's University City District
Year-Round/Semi-Permanent
Example:
• The parklets in San Francisco
Permanent
Example:
• Los Angeles' Byzantine -Latino
Quarter Parklet
What are Land Use Considerations?
... in a commercial area
Most parklets are located in commercial districts.
Yet not every part of every commercial district is a good
candidate for a parklet. While parklets have the potential
to increase the amount of people walking in an area, they
should not be the only pedestrian attraction on a street. A
commercial area that is already attracting pedestrians is
important to ensure parklet use.
A business owner who would like to sponsor a parklet
in a commercial area should be mindful that parklets are
public spaces (unless otherwise specified, as could be the
case in Long Beach, CA). Parklet signage must convey to
pedestrians that the space is public rather than an extension
of a business. Other design elements can be included to
underscore that the space is welcoming to the public. For
instance, as shown in figure 52, colorful chairs and tables
placed in the parklet can be used to attract attention from
passing pedestrians, who can enter the platform from the
sidewalk (with railings on the street side as protection from
vehicles).
RE(:. AIM1i4ca IAE NicaiA T of IAJAY 81
If a parklet is properly located and designed in a
commercial district, it can support economic activity
by helping to draw people to a commercial street and
providing more space for the enjoyment of the area and its
businesses. This is true in Philadelphia's University City District,
where a seasonal parklet (from spring to mid -autumn) has
helped increase revenue by 20 percent for the adjacent
cafe, Green Line. A similar result occurred in New York City,
where the owners of Local, a parklet-adjacent business,
reported that the installation was "definitely good for
business, especially in a way that creates new space for
the community.1130 Other parklet-adjacent businesses in
NYC —including Ecopolis, Le Pain Quotidien, Bombay, and
FIKA—agreed with this assessment. For instance, Bombay's
sales increased by 14 percent from the year prior to the
parklet's installation, while FIKA's sales increased by 9 to
15 percent. Depending on a parklet's design, construction
and implementation, business owners investing in a parklet
can expect to recover costs in approximately five years,
although some businesses recoup costs at a quicker rate.
82 RE(. Arn4iigca iiE Nicaiq T OF INAY
Im
W1.
sa- Nr
! f i
C
Figure 51. Parklet, Philadelphia, PA.
Credit: Dan Reed
Figure 52. Colorful chairs at parklet, Philadelphia, PA.
,, Credit: Philly Bike Coalition
f
... in a residential area
While most parklets are located in commercial or
mixed -use commercial areas, parklets can be successful
in residential areas, with sponsorship from one or more
residents and support from local neighbors. The "Deeplet"
parklet on San Francisco's Valencia Street is a good
example of residential sponsorship and engagement
(figures 53-54). During renovation of a house on this street,
the project's architect suggested installing a parklet next to
the driveway. The home owners, car -free environmentalists,
agreed that constructing a parklet in front of their house
offered an opportunity to express their values and contribute
to their local community. They recognized that the
sidewalks on Valencia Street were not well maintained and
installation of a parklet could help to improve the pedestrian
experience and encourage walking. Amandeep Jawa and
Kimberly Conley, sponsors of the Deeplet parklet, said of their
project:31
"It is no coincidence that our effort involves
reclaiming our private "car -space" --the street
space in front of our house ... only useful for us to pull
a car out of our private driveway --and converting
it into a spot many can enjoy by making it into a
parklet."
RE(:. AIK41igca SAE NicaiA T OF 1NNY 83
The site's designer, Jane Martin, worked with the parklet
sponsors and their neighbors to select a parklet design that
connected with their love of animals, specifically dinosaurs.
The final site design features a succulent sculpture in the
shape of a Triceratops, a unique aspect differing from many
other parklets that most prominently feature seating.
In most instances, parklets in residential areas should
not include movable tables and chairs. Unlike with
commercial sponsors who can take such furniture inside
their business at the end of the day, a residential sponsor will
likely not want this responsibility nor have the space to store
furniture at night.
A parklet within a residential area should also be
designed to address any concerns about usage. For
instance, to address potential issues of noise from people
congregating in the site at night, the designer of the Deeplet
parklet included slightly downward sloping wooden benches
that are comfortable for sitting but inconvenient for sleeping.
With the exception of the benches, all other surfaces are
made of aluminum to facilitate easy cleaning in the case of
graffiti.
84 HECLAIK4IIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF INAY
Figure 53. Sloped seating, Deeplet, San Francisco, CA. Figure 54. Succulent dinosaur, Deeplet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Daveed Kapoor / utopia.org Credit: Kimberly Conley
What are design considerations based on shape and size?
... if my site is a parking space
Parking space conversions provide for the most
common parklet shape, with two parking spots as the
most common size for curbside parklets. For instance, San
Francisco's parklet permit design guidelines explain that
parklets are generally two parking spots wide, although
expansion may be considered. Table 3 provides a summary
of design guidelines for curbside parklets as provided by San
Francisco and three other cities.
Whether or not a parklet requires a licensed engineer's
or architect's stamp is an important distinction in these
design guidelines. Cities that do not have this requirement
note that it is an expensive and costly barrier for community
groups seeking to install parklets. Cities that require such
a stamp find it to be helpful for ensuring that safety
considerations are met. Regardless of this requirement,
businesses designing parklets should seek review from an
architect or engineer for safety considerations.
Parklets in curbside parking spaces can be designed in
a myriad ways. A few unique curbside design options can
be found in the section, "If my parklet will be installed year-
round/semi-permanently."
RE(*. ain4ii4ca liE Nicaii T of I?VAY 85
...if my site is using diagonal parking stalls
Typical parallel parking spots only allow for a six-
foot wide parklet. In contrast, diagonal stalls are deeper,
extending 11 feet into the street, which allows for a larger
curbside parklet. For example, the Devil's Teeth Bakery in
San Francisco decided to transform its three angled parking
stalls into a uniquely designed parklet featuring two areas
separated by a two -foot wide barrier. These two "zones"
allow the parklet to accommodate different user groups
at the same time, including dog walkers and bicyclists,
people of varying ages, and socializing groups, as well as
individuals seeking a quiet place to read. The design of this
parklet incorporates both seating and landscaping. Seating
is paramount in this parklet, with planted zones along the
length of the benches. This design allows landscaping
without decreasing seating capacity.
The parklet design was constricted by the acute
angles of the space but designer Shane Curnyn was able
to successfully convert these challenges into opportunities.
One acute angle at the uphill end of the parklet became
an opportunity to create a "chaise lounge" condition.
This could have been an awkward conjunction, but good
86 HECLAIK4IIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF (NAY
design transformed it "into the best seat in the house." The
other acute angle provided an opportunity for planting. The
slope of the street also made it tricky to render the street/
parklet interface cleanly, but this obstacle was overcome by
skilled carpentry.
Overall, diagonal parking stalls and other irregularly
shaped sites can be a challenge as well as an opportunity
for simple but creative design. Shane Curnyn provides the
following advice for such sites:
"Keeping the shape of the parklet as simple as
possible while providing the most usable space
and seating for the occupants is the best way to
approach the plan. Save your design energy (and
budget) for the many tricky details and threshold
conditions invoked by street, curb, materials, city,
builder and the client."
EL i7'-7'
ABOVE DATUM*(
A BPVE LIATUM4 AW TO. BENCH
ZX4 CEDAR DECKING,
ISAUVAGED FROM
JOSSITE LEFTOVERS)
NATIVVADAPTM
DROUGHT RESISTANT
PLANTINGS (PHDRMIUM,
SUCCULENTS. MEXICAN
FEATHER GRASS)
WAPLAT ESTEEL(SD%
REGYGLER CONTENT.
TYP.)
PLANTER BOX MINED
WITH ORGANIC.
LOSALV ❑ C
WATERP RDGPtNG
COMPOUND)
P,T. FRAMING,TYP
1X4 CEDAR SIDINC+.
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r ALBEDO. 90%'FLV ASH,
TYP)
a
(E) ASPHALT ROAD
SURFACE
R SECTION ❑ETAIL @ SOUTH SEAT
2- _ ,,_U„
Figure 55. Seating lined with landscaping, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Matarozzi Pelsigner Builders
City
Size of Parklet
RE(:! NIIIAIIV(a i WE RI(ali i OF I?VAY 8
Table 3. Summary of Design Guidelines for Parklets in Different Cities
San Francisco
6' width, flush with curb
(1 /2" gap max)
Oakland
New York City
6' width. Should be
as flush to the curb as
possible —at a minimum
12' must be flush with
the sidewalk
Philadelphia
6' width
Load Not specified
Load bearing: 750 Ibs/
Must support 100 Ibs/ sq. ft.
sq. ft.
load
Curbside drainage
Platform should allow for
Must maintain curb line
Drainage
must not be impeded
and must allow for easy
easy access underneath
drainage
Same design
access to the space
and curbside drainage may
guidelines as San
underneath
not be impeded
Francisco
Should have vertical
Wind/ Visually permeable
Should be stable under
Visibility outside edge; railing
elements so that it is
wind -loads of 80 mph with
may be required
visible from vehicles
open guard rails
DOT assesses site to
4' distance from parklet
determine safety
Must have reflective soft hit
to wheel stop (behind)
Barriers
improvements: traffic
posts and may have wheel
3' wheel stop installed
markings, flexible
stops installed 1 ft. from curb
1' from curb (ahead)
bollards, and wheel
stops
Licensed
Engineer Stamp No
Yes
Yes
No
Required?
88 RE(:! AIIIAIIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF INKY
O
r
D
.. ,r
-- ,n
1� (N) WOOD BENCH
(N) WOOD BENCH + BACKREST
3 (N) WOOD PLANTER
(N) CONCRETE SLAB (OVER SLIPSHEET)
(N) STEEL PLATE OVER GUTTER FLOWLINE
(E) SIDEWALK PLANTER
0' 1 ' 2' 4' S' 16, ram•_
Plan - Nariega Parklet
Figure 56. Plan view of Noriega parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Matarozzi Pelsigner Builders
... if I want to design within a traffic triangle and/or a
travel lane
Compared to the conversion of a parking space,
transforming a traffic triangle and/or travel lane into a
parklet can be a more significant and longer -term endeavor.
The Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative (LANI) constructed
such a parklet, converting both a traffic triangle and a travel
lane into a pedestrian plaza within Los Angeles's Byzantine
Latino Quarter neighborhood. Prior to construction, the traffic
triangle was disconnected from the adjacent sidewalk by a
slip turn lane (a lane which allows drivers to turn right without
coming to a complete stop). LANI used concrete to fill in the
slip turn lane and connect the sidewalk to the traffic triangle,
which transformed the dangerous traffic triangle into a
welcoming and safe place for pedestrians and transit riders.
Traffic patterns were not affected by this change because
drivers are still able to turn right, although they must go
around the corner rather than in the slip lane.
While LANI sought to create a permanent pedestrian
plaza and went through the permitting process to do so, less
permanent parklets can also be installed in traffic triangles
and/or travel lanes. Designers sometimes have the option to
use paint instead of concrete to create their parklet, as was
the case at the Sunset Triangle Plaza parklet.
RECLAIMING* THE RIGW i OF INKY 89
Figure 57. Plan view of traffic triangle conversion, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit- Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris
90 RE(.! Ain4iwca T IAF Nicaii T OF INAY
FA
Figure 58. Converted traffic triangle, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative
E
...if my site is a street segment
Most parklets involve the conversion of parking spaces,
but some larger parklets take up entire sections of a street.
Additional space allows for creative designs that can serve
multiple users. The following two examples illustrate the
flexibility and diversity among this type of large parklet:
the Sunset Triangle Pedestrian Plaza in Los Angeles and
Picnurbia in Vancouver.
Sunset Triangle
The Sunset Triangle Pedestrian Plaza in Los Angeles
was organized by Streets for People, an initiative of the
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and the
City of Los Angeles Planning Commission, as described
in Chapter 2 of this toolkit. Opened in March of 2012, the
parklet exists on one block of Griffith Park Boulevard in Silver
Lake that was closed to automobile traffic between Sunset
Boulevard, Maltman Avenue, and Edgecliff Drive.
The adjacent businesses and the Silver Lake
Improvement Association formulated the initial plan for
the parklet, and the Los Angeles County Public Health
Department funded the project before their federal
American Recovery & Reinvestment Act grant expired. A
quick implementation schedule and the temporary nature
Figure 59. "Billboard" with green polka dots, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Ross Reyes
RE(:. AIM114(a i WE RI(ali i OF INAY Al
of the pilot project drove design considerations. Parklet
design elements had to be "non -committal." This translated
into the use of paint instead of jackhammers and removable
furniture and planters rather than permanently built pieces.
Transforming the site required using the entire 11,000
square -foot site as a "billboard, " with a painted green
surface and polka dots. The color green was selected
because many other colors were "off limits" as they denote
specific purposes in traffic control (i.e., red denotes a no
parking zone, and blue is used for handicapped spaces).
The color green was selected to highlight the transformation
of the site into a public space for people, similar to a
traditional public park with green grass. Additionally, large
polka dots in a lighter green color were added to the
pattern to give dimension and help camouflage dirt and
other imperfections on the pavement.
Design elements include chairs, tables, umbrellas,
planters, and bike racks. Planters are used to close the
street and block off entrance to cars. These bollard planters
are filled with sand and soil at their base and with drought
tolerant plantings on top. The City of Los Angeles selected
the planters and other design elements based on their use
in parklets in other cities. After installation, someone also
added a basketball hoop, which proved to be one of the
most well used elements in the parklet.
92 RE(.�LAIK4114(a T liE NicaiA T of wAY
The Los Angeles Department of Transportation (DOT)
installed the parklet in early 2012. Installation by the DOT
allowed the project to move forward without going through
a permitting process because many project tasks —such as
pavement painting, street closure signage, and bike rack
installation —are common functions performed by the DOT
installation crews.
Still in its infancy, the parklet is showing early signs
of success. Although some customers may have initially
struggled to find parking after several parking spaces were
removed, more recent anecdotal evidence suggests that
business has since picked up after customers learned of the
relocated parking spaces. Business may also be benefiting
from an increased number of pedestrians visiting the area.
For instance, the owner of Morning Nights Cafe, Julie Choe,
noted that revenues at her cafe have gone up by about 20
percent on weekends since the installation of the parklet.32
Fig. 60. Planters, Sunset Triangle Plaza, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Alissa Walker
Figure 61. LADOT installation crews, Sunset Triangle Plaza,
Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Margot Ocanas
11
*RNA
I
w
J
94 RECLAIMING 'THE F?I(aW i OF WAY
Picnurbia
Another example of a parklet that emerged from a
street closure is the Picnurbia parklet, which was installed on
Robson Street in downtown Vancouver during the summer
of 2011. During this time, the city had closed Robson Street
to vehicular traffic due to underground construction. The
parklet allowed the city to transform a closed street into a
playful public space that measured 96 feet in length, 15 feet
in width, and 8 feet in height (at its highest point). Located
in an area with relatively high foot traffic within a popular
commercial district and near a public square, the parklet
enhanced the pedestrian experience.
Picnurbia was designed to be a temporary and
movable installation, creating a public "living room" where
people could spend time, whether with friends, food, or a
book. One of the designers, Philipp Dittus, used the following
description to explain the character that Picnurbia sought to
create:33
"It is a place. A wave. A stimulus. An enabler. A park.
A piece of furniture. A piece of art. A road block. It
is yellow. It is for everybody. IT IS PUBLIC."
Figure 63. Picnurbia, Vancouver, BC.
Credit: Neal LaMontagne
The designers of the Picnurbia parklet wanted the
installation to be inclusive for many potential users, and to
denote public space. Because the parklet was not attached
to a commercial operation, it did not require much effort
to understand that it was public space. Design elements
included seating in the shape of a wave, umbrellas for
providing shade, as well as bridges, benches, and tables
spanning the length of the wave. Design materials included
plywood and construction timber, painted for weather
protection and covered by a 1 1/3-inch-thick yellow artificial
turf. No design elements were considered more important
than others. The designer described the elements in the
following way:
"The wooden material which is common and easy
to get, gives it the characteristics of furniture. The
turf attracted visually with its color, plus it teased
people to come closer, touch it, get in on it. The
umbrellas offered shadow and made it visible
from blocks away; they also created zones on the
installation. The bridge/bench/table did the same
for exactly the same reasons."
Safety for parklet users was ensured thanks to
Picnurbia's location on a closed street with no vehicular
traffic and because the installation conformed to the city's
RECLAIMING* THE RIGHT OF WAY J:)
building code. Comfort was provided by the soft -surface turf
material, shadow from the umbrellas, and the "ergonomic"
form of the wave design. There were no specific design
elements intended to protect the parklet from vandalism or
crime but the city maintained and cleaned the installation
on a regular basis. Because the installation was designed to
be movable, the city could decide to bring the parklet to
other areas during future summers.
Figure 64. Picnurbia, Vancouver, BC.
Credit: Neal LaMontagne
96 RECLAIMING i WE F?I(aW i OF WAY
I
rm
Figure 65. Conceptual design for Picnurbia, Vancouver, BC.
Credit: Loose Affiliates
F
What are considerations based on the duration of the installation?
Figure 66. Park(ing) Day installation, Downtown Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Mike Manal
RECLAIMING* THE RIGHT OF WAY 97
...if I want to have a parklet installed for one day
Participating in Park(ing) Day, an annual event
described previously in this toolkit, is a way for groups
and organizations to transform a single metered parking
space into a temporary parklet. A Park(ing) Day installation
can provide an opportunity to build public awareness
of parklets and also increase potential support for more
permanent installations. This occurred successfully in Los
Angeles and Oakland, as the examples below highlight.
At the Spring Street parklet installation on Park(ing)
Day in 2011, the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood
Council conducted a survey for people stopping by the
temporary installation. They asked questions such as:
• How would you like to spend your time while
at a parklet?
• How often would you spend time in a parklet?
• What are your priorities for design elements in
a parklet?
0 Would you kiss your loved one in a parklet?
98 REC! AIMINGA i HE RIGM i OF WAY
Responses to these questions helped inform design
for a more permanent parklet on the same site. The
neighborhood council collected 50 responses to their survey
and found the following:
• Seventy percent of respondents would visit a
parklet at the site daily or weekly.
• Fifty percent of respondents were most
interested in having space to hang out alone
or with others and having planting/greenery as
design elements in the parklet.
• Eighty-five percent of respondents would kiss
their loved ones in a parklet.
Similarly, one currently planned site for a more
permanent parklet pilot project in Oakland got its start with
a Park(ing) Day installation that included a sidewalk party
with a DJ and dancing. The permit applicant, Actual Cafe,
left a parklet guest book for people to register their interest
in creating a more permanent installation. These comments
were used as evidence of community support in their parklet
application. The guest book collected comments such as:34
"I am a life-long Oaklander... The parklet changed
the whole atmosphere of this block in a way
I've never seen in Oakland. It makes the street
feel like ''ours' in a way it did not before. Just
looking at the cozy benches and warm wooden
construction gives the eyes a rest from the asphalt
and grime that, unfortunately, pervades this area.
I hope and believe this parklet will bring long-
term neighborhood residents of all ages out onto
the street to help renew and refresh this district
and highlight our beautiful diversity and peaceful
strength."
PHLa R TFA .
Figure 67. Whimsical drawing from parklet petition, Oakland, CA.
Credit: Actual Cafe
In addition to the guest book pages, Actual Caf6 also
collected over 600 signatures for a petition to the City of
Oakland for a permanent parklet on the site. The petition
stated:
"Make Actual CaWs parklet a permanent fixture of
the Golden Gate District! Please grant Actual Caf6
a permit for permanent installation of its parklet in
the defunct AC transit bus stop on Alcatraz Avenue.
I believe the parklet will enhance the livability of
the Golden Gate district."
The Oakland and Los Angeles Park(ing) Day examples
show the power of using Park(ing) Day to garner support for
more permanent installations. Both of these sites are in the
permit approval process at the time of publication of this
toolkit.
Any group can participate in Park(ing) Day, even if a
more permanent parklet is not proposed for the site. The
following information provides practical advice for a group
wanting to stage a Park(ing) Day installation:
RE(.* AIK41i4ca liE NicaiA T of wtiY 99
Bring material for the "floor" of the parklet.
This is commonly a large piece of Astroturf or
something which conveys the transformation
from a parking space to a temporary park.
• Pick a location with significant foot traffic. This will
help ensure that the Park(ing) Day installation
is well attended. As described in Chapter I of
this toolkit, the organization Pacoima Beautiful
selected a location in front of a public library.
Plan some activities. Not everyone is familiar
with parklets and as such, may not feel
comfortable spending leisure time in a parking
space. By having activities such as art projects
or information tables, people will be more likely
to enter the parklet and engage in activities.
Bring signage. This is especially important when
people are not familiar with parklets or Park(ing)
Day. Signage will help to avoid confusion about
the purpose of the installation. The signage does
not have to say "parklet," as this term may not
yet be understood in a particular community,
but should somehow denote that the space is
public.
Overall, participating in Park(ing) Day is a great
opportunity for community member engagement and to
build public support for parklets.
100 RE(:! AIKAIIV(a i WE RI(al-I i OF I?VAY
Figure 68. Signage at Pacoima Park(ing) Day, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Pacoima Beautiful
... if a parklet is installed seasonally
Parklets in cities with harsh winter months, including
New York City and Philadelphia, are designed to be
removed in the winter. Design considerations for parklets in
these cities are slightly different than for year-round parklet
installations, with designers finding solutions to address
the issue of seasonal installation. Typically, the design of
seasonal parklets is simpler compared to year-round parklet
installations.
The Philadelphia solution was to develop a modular
system that could fold up flat to fit into a truck and be
quickly installed, minimizing labor costs and installation time.
The Philadelphia designers also wanted a system that was
generic enough in its components to be configured for a
variety of designs, differing sizes, and varying curb cuts.
Indeed, the final Philadelphia modular system provides great
flexibility and can be placed practically anywhere. The
modules take less than a day to install and can be easily
installed at short notice for other types of public events, such
as street fairs, bike events, or marathons.
The modular system consists mainly of three
components: a railing, a deck, and a planter box. The
railing is made of steel and designed in such a way that it
is comfortable to lean on and can handle occasional high
Figure 69. Parklet installation, Philadelphia, PA.
Credit: Philly Bicycle Coalition
RE(:! AIKAIIV(a i WE RI(alA i OF INAY 101
capacity. The deck and planters are made of wood. Planters
and railing can be combined and configured in a variety of
ways to define the boundaries of a parklet. Other components
such as benches, tables, high -top tables, and bike racks can
be customized to suit the preferred type of use and size of the
site. In addition, the designers have devised about six to seven
attachment points or connectors that allow for attaching any
number of components to the basic module.
New York City's first parklet design employed Riyad
Ghannam, a designer who had previously worked on
parklet designs in San Francisco. The objective was to create
"the nicest space we could make for the least amount
of money," said Ghannam.35 Similar to Philadelphia, the
site design is a simple deck ringed by metal planters and
cable fencing. The planters are the most costly item of the
construction but are important as they have many functions
including providing a main structural element, a barrier from
vehicles, and support railing/fencing. The decking "does
the most for the least," providing the flooring for the parklet
in a cost-effective manner. For later iterations of the design,
the designer substituted concrete for wood on the decks
because concrete is more durable. The cable guardrail
and the planters are intended to be as tall as possible within
structural and budget constraints.
102 RE(.! AIK4IIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF 1NAY
The New York City designer believes that the plantings
are the most important part of parklet design. Mr. Ghannam
noted the importance of including as much "green" space
elements as possible or else it "just looks like a sidewalk.1131
In both Philadelphia and New York City, the seasonal
parklets cannot be attached to the street or the sidewalk
but rather need to be encompassed on a platform. Neither
city has encountered any problems with this system thus far;
however, there is a limit on the amount of design elements
and amenities that can be placed on a platform.
Responses to interviews in New York City and
Philadelphia indicate the ability for parklets to be
constructed, removed, and stored by the parklet sponsor/
business owner during the winter months. Therefore, location
and weather do not seem to affect the ultimate success of
parklets.
...if my parklet is installed year-round or
semi -permanently
Parklets in San Francisco exist year-round, although
applicants must submit a $221 fee for yearly renewal fees.
Most parklets have been installed in San Francisco over
the last two years with no set expiration date. As such, the
overall lifespan and longevity of each parklet site is not yet
clear. The semi -permanence of San Francisco's parklets
and the ever-increasing number of installed sites provide
for a diversity of designs. This section highlights three semi-
permanent parklet designs in San Francisco, selected by the
authors of this toolkit because of their uniqueness and ability
to inspire creative designs for other semi -permanent parklets.
Peace Keeper Parklet
The "Peace Keeper" parklet is located in front of a
local art gallery in San Francisco. Erik Otto, an artist who had
worked with the gallery for many years, designed and built
this parklet, which is constructed with recycled materials.
The major design elements include a small house and
removable beanbags. Neighbors donated the landscaping
elements, including most of the succulents and an olive
tree. These elements sit on top of a foundation made of a
galvanized steel frame with an array of regularly spaced
1/2--inch anchor points for bolting.
The art gallery intended for the parklet platform to
house a variety of different parklet elements and to be built,
reconfigured, and secured over time. The gallery is currently
accepting submissions for the next parklet installation in front
of their establishment.
FABRIC8 x ERIK 0TTO
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p4vH hvxax, nrMahenn hng Nrxirti S<:+1C'dlmaM.wxtaGBxrkhq
can sbucdred otracyr.�edmatedsls. Sef.t—..0 b. P&M d
Figure 70. Conceptual drawing of the
"Peace Keeper" parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Erik Otto
RE(:, AIM114(a i IiE RI(ali i OF INAY 103
iv.
L.._ -. -. ._._ { y
20' - 6"
Figure 71. Steel substructure diagram, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: fabric8
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Figure 72. Installed steel sub -structure,
"Peace Keeper" parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Martha Traer
61-0"
104 REC LAIMING i WE RIGM i OF WAY
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Figure 73. "Peace Keeper" parklet, San Francisco, CA.
-= `4 Credit: fabric8 f
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Figure 74. "Walklet," San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Jeremy Shaw
t
RE(:. AIM1i4ca SAE NicaiA T OF 1NNY 105
Valencia Street Parklet
The Rebar group, the art group that first initiated
Park(ing) Day, designed a parklet that is situated in three
parking spaces along Valencia Street in San Francisco.
Rebar envisioned the installation as a "walklet," a modular
sidewalk extension system.
Although a unique parklet, Rebar designed this parklet
with modular system pieces that could be used at other
parklets. All pieces are manufactured in-house by Rebar for
anyone to purchase. The pieces can be combined in any
number of ways as part of a mix -and -match system, as seen
in figure 76.
BIKE RACKS INCREASE FOOT TRAFFIC
SEATING AREAS FOR WAITING, MEETING
HCGH TABLE FOR TO -GO SLICES
LOLO'S ESCAPE FROM REVOLUTION
RESTAURANT NEW YORK PIZZA CAFE
Figure 75. Plan view for Valklet" options, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Rebar
106 RE(:! NIMIIV(a i IiE RI(ali i OF INAY
A MIX -AND -MATCH, MODULAR SYSTEM. CREATE YOUR OWN PROGRAM:
SIMPLE SEAT
Find space to walk, a spot to sit,
and room to breathe in a crowded
urban space. Our simple bench
does it all.
❑EEP SEAT
Relax and put your feet up,
lounge in the span, or spread out
an entire picnic on our most
accomodating urban surface,
SIMPLE EXTENSION
The ultimate space -maker, our
sturdy faller platform will expand your
sidewalk horizons, Also available
with a bike rack attachment.
END RETURN
Provide a stylish entry into your
new public space with our angled
cap piece.
Figure 76.Options for "Walklet" pieces.
Credit: Rebar
HIGH TABLE
Pause for a coffee, a slice, or a
chat at our tall table. This perch
also provides a nice visual barrier
between sidewalk and street.
SIMPLE PLANTER
Provide seating and green space
in one fell swoop. Plant vertical
species like bamboo for shade
and a friendly visual barrier.
DEEP PLANTER
Natural shade is easy with our
deep planter box, which can
easily accomodate a large box
tree plus ground cover.
These modular pieces interlock with each other and
can be bolted to the sidewalk, if desired. However, bolting
into the sidewalk or roadbed is not required because of
the sufficient weight of the pieces. The decking system is
created by using renewable bamboo and is pre -finished
on all faces. Also, if desired, a railing system can be added
The installed site on Valencia Street does not use a railing
system.
REC! AIMING* i WE RIGHT OF WAY 107
Trouble Cafe Parklet
Another unique parklet is located in front of Trouble
Cafe, in San Francisco's Outer Sunset neighborhood. The
parklet is constructed entirely of found wood. The parklet
sponsors and owners of Trouble Cafe, Giulietta Maria
Carrelli and Ajax Oakford, wanted to combine the look of
both "land and sea, like a shipwreck that brings people
together."31
Figure 77. Trouble Cafe parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: San Francisco Planning Department
108 RE(.! AIK4IIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF 1NAY
John King, urban design critic for the San Francisco
Chronicle, described the Trouble Cafe parklet in the
following way:
01
"If parklets were nothing more than sidewalk
extensions above asphalt, the novelty would wear
off. This and a handful of others show what makes
the potential so exciting. They embody aspects
of neighborhood life, letting outsiders experience
strains of local culture. At best, they're a physical
manifestation of today's San Francisco - and
perhaps a hint of tomorrow's city as well.1137
Figure 78. Trouble Cafe parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: SF Bicycle Coalition / sfbike.org
t
... if a parklet is permanent
The previously described parklet in Los Angeles'
Byzantine Latino Quarter that provided an example of
transforming a traffic triangle and driving lane, is also a good
example of a permanent parklet. Permanent installations
require different materials and a different permit compared
to non -permanent parklets. For instance, rather than using
paint as in the Sunset Triangle Plaza parklet, the Byzantine
Latino Quarter installation involved filling in a travel lane with
concrete and permanently re-routing turning traffic around
the corner of the site. Removing concrete can be labor and
cost intensive; therefore, it should only be used if a project is
not planned for removal. Due to its permanent nature, the
project required a lengthy permitting process, a B-permit
in Los Angeles. This is not a revocable permit, as is typical
with parklet installations. The B-permit must be approved by
a number of different city departments, and the approval
process can take a year or more. In contrast, the revocable
R-permit takes approximately six weeks for processing.
This parklet project dramatically and permanently
transformed the area by creating a pedestrian plaza that
included landscaping, irrigation, street furniture, tree wells,
and an improved bus shelter.
How do I construct the parklet base?
Parklets have a base or platform to create a flush and
safe extension of the sidewalk into the street right-of-way.
This is commonly constructed through a sub -structure with
a platform constructed on top, leveling the street section
to the sidewalk. Streets are commonly slightly crowned for
drainage with the middle of the street slightly higher than
the edges; therefore, the sub -structure must account for this
curvature in the street in order to create a level platform.
Engineering options for leveling the platform include the
use of pedestals with differing heights, or steel or wood sub-
structures with angled beams. With all sub -structures, it is
important to maintain curbside drainage by not placing any
sub -structure directly next to the curb.
The company, Bison, manufactures the pedestal system
most commonly used in parklet sub -structures. However, the
Fabric8 installation employs a steel structure with angled
crossbars to create a platform as seen previously in figures 71
& 72. Figure 80 shows a pedestal cross section with spacing
between the pedestals and the curb for drainage purposes.
The Rebar-designed parklet modules feature individual steel
OF—
RECLAIMING THE RIGIA i OF WAY 109
Figure 79. Bison pedestal system during installation,
San Francisco, CA.
Credit: SF Bicycle Coalition / sfbike.org
110 RECLAIMING ING THE RIGHT OF WAY
Figure 80. Cross-section of Bison pedestals of differing heights.
Credit: Daveed Kapoor / utopia.org
LANDSCAPE PER PLAN
CUSHIONS PER PLAN
PLANTER PER PLAN
STEPSTONE TURF PAVER
STEPSTONE PAVER --\
ALIGN
BENCH PER PLAN
'Xi . ................... I
L 4 X 4 1/4" LEDGER
eo
DRILL & RED HEAD L 4 X 4 1/4" LEDGER STEPSTONE PAVERS ON 1"H WEEP BETWEEN
EPCON A7 ADHESIVE BISON VERSADJUST VERTICAL POSTS TO
ANCHOR SYSTEM PEDESTAL SYSTEM PERMIT DRAINAGE
LARR #25379 LARR #25754
sub -structures rather than one continuous platform. Wood
can also be used to construct the sub -structure as was used
in front of Mama's Art Cafe in San Francisco.
A platform must be constructed on top of the sub-
structure. This is typically made of either permeable pre -cast
concrete pavers or pre-treated wood.
The aforementioned Devil's Teeth parklet in San
Francisco utilizes a new approach for building the sub-
structure in a diagonal parking space. This solution involved
a simple, concrete topping slab poured over a slip -sheet (to
prevent bonding to the street), which has turned out to be a
very cost-effective and durable ground surface and a natural
extension of the sidewalk. Concrete also eliminates the need
for cleaning underneath, and easily mitigates the sloping
crown of the road. While this concrete solution seemingly
negates the removable nature of parklets, in fact the slip
sheet allows the concrete to be removed quickly; a few hits
with a chipper will crack it into easily removable pieces.
The installation uses a few wedge anchors to secure
pressure -treated base plates to the road, providing a solid
base for parklet framing. Wedge anchors are only 1 /2" in
diameter and penetrate only about 2" into the street. These
anchors can be cut easily in the event of parklet removal. The
platform on top uses unfinished cedar or redwood as these
RE(:. AIMIIV(a i IAE RIGID i OF INKY 111
woods weather well and do not require maintenance or
refinishing. Additionally, graffiti can be sanded off the platform.
Adjustable pedestals and pre -cast concrete pavers
are the most common combination for creating the parklet
platform. However, there is a range of options that can
be employed. Anyone wanting to design a parklet should
work with a licensed architect or engineer to select the
most appropriate, safe and cost-effective materials for
constructing the parklet platform.
Figure 81. Pre -cast concrete pavers during installation,
San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Streetsblog SF
112 RECLAIMING THE RIGAH i OF WAY
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NEENEWEED
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Figure 82. Steel sub -structure, San Francisco, CA. Figure 83. Divisadero parklet platform, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Martha Traer Credit: SF Bicycle Coalition / sfbike.org
T
;r
Figure 84. Wooden sub -structure, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Excelsior Action Group / www.eagsf.org
RECLAIMIW(a THE RIGM i OF INKY 113
Figure 85. Prefabricated modules, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Kate McCarthy
114 RE(:LAIM114(a i WE R.I(al-I i OF IVAY
How do I design my site for safety?
For health and safety reasons, consideration should be
made to locate parklets on low -speed streets in relatively
low -traffic areas. This can help minimize user exposure to
particulates and other air pollutants.
In addition, city departments of transportation should
install safety features that separate parklet users from traffic
while allowing for visibility and thus protection from crime.
These features could include parking/wheel stops, flexible
bollards, and traffic markings such as striping the outline
parking lane or painting the adjacent curb space. Parklets
also typically have a railing edge to protect users from
traffic. These railings should be visible to motorists. Railings
that allow the parklet to be observed from both sides of the
street can help to ensure user safety from crime.
Moreover, parklet designers should consider safety
considerations when selecting a site, paying particular
attention to the hours and type of operation of surrounding
businesses. Open -front establishments allow natural
surveillance of the parklet by the patrons and owners of
surrounding businesses. For nighttime use and to instill a
feeling of safety, a selection of parklet sites near street lighting
or other sources of lighting is advisable. Lastly, cameras and
closed-circuit television systems can be employed for security
purposes, but may be costly and not necessarily warranted.
Table 4. Parklet Traffic Safety Guidelines in Different Cities
City
San Francisco
Guideline
Generally, the parklet must be located
away from a corner and along a street
with a speed limit of 25mph or less. The
parklet must not extend beyond six feet
from the curb line in places where there is
parallel parking.
Curbside seating platforms are not
appropriate for every street. Typically
New York City they are only permitted on one-way
streets with a single moving lane of traffic
and low vehicle speeds.
Parklets should be located on streets with
posted maximum speed limits of 35 mph.
Philadelphia Approval of any location must be given
by the traffic engineers of the Streets
Department.
Proposed location should have a
Oakland posted speed limit of 25mph or less. The
proposed street should have parking
lanes and only minimal slope.
RE(.! AIK4IIV(a i liE RI(ali i OF INAY 11:)
Figure 86. Four Barrel parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Bruce Damonte Photography
116 P?E(:LAIM114(a i WE P.I(al-I i OF IVAY
Figure 87. Bombay / FIKA edge,
New York City, NY.
Credit: NYC Department of Transportation
Figure 88. Haight Street parklet,
San Francisco, CA.
Credit: SF Bicycle Coalition / sfbike.org
IF
How do I design my site for comfort?
Seating is one of the most important design elements
for the parklet to function as a public space. Good seating
makes the site attractive to people passing by and provides
a reason to linger. According to San Francisco's guidelines,
parklets must have benches in order to designate them as
public spaces. The city has no design restrictions for seating,
and encourages unique parklets that reflect the character
of the community. As a result, San Francisco parklets feature
a wide variety of seating styles, from functional to artistic.
RE(.! AIK4IIV(a i IiE RI(ali i OF INAY 117
If a design employs removable furniture, it should be
durable, light, and easy to remove. However, it is advised
to include some built-in seating or other amenities. When
parklets are designed with no built-in seating, the parklet
looks very bare when seating is stored inside the adjacent
business (see figure 89).
Figure 89, Cafe Seventy8, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: San Francisco MTA Livable Streets
118 RECLAIMING THE RIGHT OF WAY
Additionally, if a parklet is located adjacent to a cafe
or restaurant, the tables and chairs should not be the same
style as the ones inside the business. This differentiation
visually designates the parklet as a separate entity from a
private business, and people will not confuse the parklet
with cafe seating. Figure 90 shows a San Francisco parklet
which is commonly criticized for creating an ambiguous
delineation between the private and public space.
There is an almost endless variety of creative ways to
provide seating with either built-in or movable furniture.
Movable furniture pieces are commonly used in parklets
across the country. Their portability makes it easy for
partnering businesses to carry them in every night, and they
are optimal for parklets with temporary permits because
Figure 90. Squat and Gobble parklet, San Francisco, CA.
they can be easily removed. Cities have incorporated Credit: Brian Kusler
everything from cheap folding lawn chairs to beanbags
as seating. However, possibly the most common types of
furniture are metallic, European cafe -style tables and chairs
from the company Fermob, which are light, durable, and
simple to clean.
1` 0 RE(.! AIK4IIV(a i IiE RI(;Ii i OF 1NAY
How can I landscape my site?
Landscaping in parklets ranges from minimal decking to
extensive, garden -like environments. There is a variety of ways
to incorporate plants into the design, most commonly with
movable planters and boxes. In order to maximize space,
landscaping elements often serve dual purposes. One of the
most common ways is to have planters double as bollards,
in order to delineate the space and protect the site from
vehicles. Resilient, drought -tolerant plants are recommended
because water can weigh down the decking. Plants that
grow vertically instead of laterally are also advisable because
they can provide shade and take up less space.
Landscaping can also be the focus of the parklet.
Examples of this include the previously mentioned
Deeplet parklet in San Francisco. An other example of a
vegetation -focused parklet is in San Francisco's Tenderloin
neighborhood, installed in front of Farm:Table cafe (see
figure 97). The parklet is an extension of their rooftop garden.
Ogrydziak/Prillinger Architects describes the Farm:Table
parklet design in the following way:
"A lot of parklets are about cafe seating - this is
a landscape. Each clearing is an isolated pocket
with an immersive experience."38
Figure 93. Dinosaur landscaping at Deeplet parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Kimberly Conley
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1` 2 RECLAIMING THE RIGHT OF WAY
Figure 95. Drought -resistant plants, Freewheel Bike Shop, Figure 96. Planters doubling as bollards, Just for Fun parklet,
San Francisco, CA. San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Daveed Kapoor / utopia.org Credit: Trees on San Pedro Street Project
RECLAIMING* THE RIGW i OF WAY 123
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Figure 97. Landscaped focused parklet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Ogrydziak Prillinger Architects
1` 4 RECLAIMINGA i HE RIGAH i OF WAY
What amenities can I include in my site?
In addition to seating and landscaping features,
amenities such as tables and bicycle parking are commonly
found in parklet sites. Bicycle parking elements are most
commonly mounted to the top of the parklet platform.
However, this is not recommended when using pre -cast
concrete pavers because drilling into the paver degrades its
strength.
A bicycle corral can be installed in a parklet site when
there is ample space to do so. This maximizes the amount of
bicycle parking.
Additionally, parklets should feature shade during
the daytime and lighting at night. Locating a parklet near
street trees and street lamps can fulfill this need. Shade
can also be provided with umbrellas, and lighting can be
incorporated in a number of creative and environmentally
sensitive ways such as LED or solar. "There are many possible
improvements such as solar -powered lighting available,"
according to Riyad Ghannam, designer of parklets in New
York City and San Francisco. Umbrellas can be provided in
parklet sites to provide shade. However, because they can
be heavy to take in and out, they are not commonly found
in parklet sites.
Figure 98. Umbrellas, Sunset Triangle Plaza, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Elizabeth Daniels Photography
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Figure 99. Bike corral, Sunset Triangle Plaza, Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: LADOT Bikeways
1` 6 HECLAIMINGA i WE RIGAH i OF WAY
Figure 100. Bicycle parking mounting to parklet platform,
Mojo Cafe, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Thomas Rogers
Figure 101. Vertical bicycle racks,
Four Barrel Cafe, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Bruce Damonte Photography
How do I design an active recreation parklet?
Parklets are commonly places of passive activity.
However, as small parks, they also provide a unique and
thus far unexplored opportunity to create spaces for
physical exercise. Given the cost of creating large-scale
parks in urban environments, as well as the public and
private costs associated with overweight and obesity, active
recreation parklets could provide a solution to help address
these challenges.
The proposed parklet on Spring Street in Los Angeles
will likely be the first active recreation parklet in the
nation. The parklet is designed using the same outdoor
fitness equipment found in Los Angeles' fitness zones (see
description in Chapter 1). Various types of outdoor fitness
equipment are available and can be installed at the
parklet. Equipment used in a parklet should be relatively
compact and intuitive for people to operate. An observed
study of users of fitness zones in Los Angeles found that the
least utilized equipment were the horizontal bars and leg
press.s9
The installation of fitness equipment in parklets affects
the type of material that can be used for the parklet
platform as well as the minimum equipment clearances.
RE(.! AIM114(a i WE RI(ali i OF INAY 127
The proposed Spring Street parklet uses stationary bicycles.
According to the design plans, the platform will be
constructed of pre -cast concrete pavers; thus, the exercise
machines will be bolted into the roadbed rather than on top
of the platform. The landscaping will extend from the seating
area into the exercise area in order to link these two areas
together. The bench in the middle will be situated slightly
away from the machine to allow for proper clearances.
Designers should check with equipment companies to
select the type of fitness machines and incorporate the
appropriate clearances into the site design.
1` 8 REC LAIMING THE HIGAIA i OF WAY
Downtown Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Berry and Linne
How are parklets marked as public space?
Parklets in San Francisco, Vancouver and New York City
feature explicit signage denoting their public nature.
In addition to signage, parklet design should denote
the parklet's public nature. This includes designing an open
edge from the sidewalk into the parklet and using distinctly
different seating from those of the adjacent businesses.
Figure 103. Required signage, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Noah Christman, SPUR
RE(:, AIMllq(a i WE RI(al-I i OF INKY 129
Figure 104. Pop-up cafe sign, New York City, NY.
Credit: Sam Smith
130 REC NIMIwca i HE RI(aW i OF 1Nl�l'
'Deepistan Natiolial Parldet t�
est. June 2011
www.deeptrouble-com/deeplet 1
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Figure 105. Personalized signage,
Deeplet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Madeline Brozen
Welcome to the'Deepistan National Parklet, a.k.a. the'Deeplet!
Please take care of it - it's for all of us to enjoy.
Parklets are -small parks reclaimed from all the public space that has
been given to cars. All parklets must be approved by the City and are
built and maintained at the owner's expense. This is the first parklet at
a private residence. -Like all others. it is open to the public.
The 'Deeplet is dedicated to the San Francisco League of Conservation
Voters, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, Livable City. Walk SF, and
all the great organizations making San Francisco a better place.
For links to these organizations, the 'Deeplet Facebook page,
information on parklets and more about this design see:
www.deeptrouble,com/deeplet
Figure 106. Personalized signage,
Deeplet, San Francisco, CA.
Credit: Madeline Brozen
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NEc:! AIK4114ca T SAE NicaiA T OF INKY 133
Figure 109. Public signage,
Parallel Park, Vancouver, BC.
Credit: Phil Kehres
Figure 110, Parallel Park, Vancouver, BC.
Credit: Phil Kehres
134 RECLAIMING i WE R.IGW i OF INKY
How much does it cost and where can I find support?
Businesses seeking to install a parklet can expect to
spend approximately $25,000 on a rectangular parklet
occupying two parking spaces. A cost estimate for the
planned Spring Street parklet in Los Angeles with the total
budget of $26,100 is provided in the table below. This is
a proposed project; therefore the amounts shown are
estimates.
According to our interviewees, businesses tend to
recoup their investment in a parklet in approximately five
years. While the $25,000 price tag may be intimidating for
a small business, previous examples show that costs can
be lowered through a variety of design decisions and in -
kind donations. Indeed, many parklets receive a variety
of donations that lower the costs for their sponsors. These
may include a designer providing pro-bono hours or using
volunteers to help during the installation phase. Some
businesses have utilized an online fundraising site that
allows the public to support creative projects, like parklets.
For instance, the Farm:Table Kickstarter campaign for a
parklet in San Francisco raised $15,000. Prospective parklets
in Chicago and Oakland have raised $5,600 and $10,000
respectively. Government support is also important. An
economic development and public realm improvement
grant from the Mayor's Office of Economic and Workforce
Development funded two parklets in the Noe Valley
neighborhood of San Francisco. Private foundations such as
the Wells Fargo Foundation in San Francisco, William Penn
Foundation in Philadelphia, and The Rosalinde and Arthur
Gilbert Foundation in Los Angeles have also contributed
critical resources in support of parklets.
Table 5. Costs for Various Parklets
Site I Cost In Kind Donations
New York City -
Design provided
Bombay Caf6
$24,000 total
pro Bono
and FIKA
a
None, all costs
Lola's Long Beach
$25,000
(including designer
fees) paid for by
Lola's
$11,000 ($10,000
All costs paid for
Philadelphia
materials + 10%
by William Penn
design fee)
Foundation
San Francisco
"Deeplet"
$20,000
None
Table 6. Parklet Cost Breakdown
Contingency
$2,300
Labor
$7, 600
Misc.
$945 Signage
$750
Permit
$1,000
Seating and
furnishings
$4,200
DecF
Struc
$4,":
RE(*, ain4ii4ca liE Nicaii T of I?VAY 135)
136 REC! AIMINGA i HE RIGM i OF WAY
How do I maintain my site?
Maintenance is extremely important for ensuring the
longevity and user-friendly nature of parklets. A parklet can
only be well used if it is well maintained. Every city requires
that a maintenance agreement is in place before issuing a
parklet permit.
According to the San Francisco parklet request for
proposals:
"If your project is selected, you will be required
to provide daily maintenance of the Parklet. This
maintenance includes watering any landscaping,
hosing down the surface, and removing any
graffiti. You will also be required to hose down the
area underneath the Parklet at least once a week.
The Department of Public Health may require pest
abatement."
Some parklets are maintained by the business
owner, while some employ support from the local business
improvement district. Employing business improvement
district staff can be advantageous as they are typically
responsible for cleaning in the area. In some places, such
as the Sunset Triangle Plaza in Los Angeles, both local
businesses and business improvement districts undertake
parklet maintenance. In Philadelphia, the University City
District shares maintenance responsibilities with the owner
of an adjacent cafe. The cafe is in charge of arranging
furniture every morning and taking it out by the end of
business hours, and is also responsible for cleaning chairs
and tables. The University City District is responsible for
parklet installation and dismantling during the appropriate
seasons of the year.
RE(:! AIKAIIV(a i WE RI(alA i OF INAY 137
In all maintenance agreements, the responsible
party or parties and their assigned tasks should be clearly
delineated. The maintenance agreement for the Sunset
Triangle Plaza outlines the following four categories for
maintenance services:40
• Site cleaning: A minimum of twice monthly
cleanings and on an `as needed' basis, removal
of dirt, litter, obstructions, trash to maintain the
site in a clean, neat, and good condition.
• Landscaping and planter maintenance:
Watering, weeding, trimming, and re -planting
in the event that a planter is damaged or
destroyed.
• Tables, chairs, umbrellas and trash cans: Daily
cleaning of debris, installing and removing
chairs, emptying trash receptacle, and
contacting appropriate parties if any amenities
must be replaced or repaired.
• Graffiti: Notifying the council district if graffiti
occurs and must be removed.
138 RE(:! AIII4IIV(a i WE RI(;Ii i OF INKY
Conclusion
Parklets symbolize the desire to create a more
communal, enjoyable, healthy, and vibrant public realm.
Transforming excess street space into a cost-effective, small
park can have a big impact. As John King, urban design
critic of the San Francisco Chronicle said:
"Some are more welcoming than others. Some
already show their age. The best strive to create
destinations, notjust seating. It's a design experiment
being conducted before our eyes, and it's not
going away.1141
Designing a successful parklet requires a variety
of considerations. The site must first be selected by
identifying the ideal location and community partner.
After site selection, conceptual designs should consider
the surrounding land uses, size and shape of the site, and
desired duration of the installation.
The parklet base, including sub -structure and platform,
should be selected based on cost, aesthetic appearance,
and durability considerations. From the platform up, the rest
of the parklet is designed for safety, comfort, and to provide
an enjoyable public space to socialize, rest, or exercise.
There are a range of design options available for all of
these categories. A parklet sponsor should plan to spend
approximately $25,000 on a parklet site occupying two
parallel parking spaces. These funds can be raised using a
variety of donations, grants, and in -kind materials.
As more parklets are proposed and permitted, the
designs are becoming more creative and distinctive.
Designers must understand a variety of considerations when
working with the community partner to create a welcoming,
well -used, and unique private space in the right-of-way.
Overall, these installations are re -imagining small portions of
the urban landscape from ordinary car -storage spaces into
beautiful public space assets for all to enjoy.
Footnotes
30. New York City Department of Transportation. (2012). "Curbside
Public Seating Sponsored by Local Businesses Evaluation Report,"
accessed July 18, 2012, http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/
curbside-seating_pilot-evaluation.pdf.," New York City.
31. Deepistan National Parklet. Deeplet parklet. (2012). Accessed
July 18, 2012, www.deeplet.org.
32. Choi, J. (2012, May 9). Owner, Morning Lights Cafe. (I. Brookvoer,
Interviewer)
33. Dittus, P. (2012, March 15). Architect. (N. LaMontage, Interviewer)
34. Actual Cafe (201 1) "Parklet Proposal."
35. Ghannam, R. (2012, April 1). Principal, RG Architecture. (N.
LaMontage, Interviewer)
36. Wilcox, A. (2012). "Parks & Recreation," The Bold Italic, accessed
July 18, . (2012,). http://www.thebolditalic.com/abbywilcox/stories/1585-
parks-and-recreation.
37. King, J. (December 29, 2011). "S.F. Parklets: A Little Tour parklets:
a little tour of a major trend," San Francisco Chronicle, accessed July 19,
2012, http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/place/article/S-F-parklets-a-little-
tour-of-a-major-trend-2430136.php.
38. Friends of the Farm:Table. (2012). "A Parklet at Farm:Table,"
campaign accessed July 18, (2012, ).http://www.kickstarter.com/
projects/parklet/help-us-build-this-parklet.
RE(:.AIM114ca i IAE RI(al-I i OF INKY 139
39. Cohen, D., et al.Marsh, T., Williamson, S., Golinelli, D., &
McKenzie, T. (2012). "Impact and Cost-effectiveness of Family Fitness
Zones: A Natural Experiment in Urban Public Parks," Health & Place 18(1):
39-45.: 39-45.
40. City of Los Angeles, Streets for People (S4P) Program. (2012).
"Community Partnership Agreement."
41. King, J. (December 29, 2011). "S.F. Parklets: A little tour of a Major
Trend," San Francisco Chronicle, accessed July 19, 2012, http://www.
sfgate.com/bayarea/place/article/S-F-parklets-a-little-tour-of-a-major-
trend-2430136.php.King, John "S.F parklets: a little tour of a major trend,"
San Francisco Chronicle, December 29, 2011.
RE(.! AIM114(a i WE RI(al-I i OF INAY 141
Introduction
As already discussed, parklets can take advantage
of underutilized and residual road space and convert it
into a meaningful open space for recreation and physical
activity. Most US cities, and certainly Los Angeles, have an
abundance of such spaces that can be easily converted
into parklets. As such, this chapter shows a selected set
of sites around Los Angeles that have the potential for
dramatic change through low cost transformations. The
sites were selected to demonstrate a variety of forms and
potential uses. The computer simulations that follow illustrate
the application of principles and concepts described
throughout this toolkit.
142 RECLAIMINGA i WE RIGAH i OF WAY
Site 1: Olympic Boulevard and Schumacher Drive
"Residential Parklet"
Existing Conditions. -
Intersection of commercial
boulevard and residential
neighborhood,
• Overly wide intersection,
• Residual space at the center
of the intersection.
Potential Improvements. -
Connecting residual space
at the center of intersection
to adjacent sidewalk,
• Traffic calming,
• Provide space for active
recreation in residential Figure 111. Concept for "residential parklet," Los Angeles, CA.
area. Credit: India Brookover/ Google Maps
Site 2: Alvarado Boulevard and 6th Street
"Street Vending Parklet"
Existing Conditions
• Extremely narrow sidewalk,
• High pedestrian volumes,
• Only street vending district in
Los Angeles,
• Area with high transit
ridership.
Potential Improvements. -
Street vending oriented
parklet allowing more
space for pedestrians on
sidewalk,
• Can be combined with
bus stop to provide more
comfortable space for
waiting transit passengers.
RE(:LAIM114(a i IAE RI(al-I i OF INAY 143
Figure 112. Concept for "street vending parklet," Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Madeline Brozen/Google Maps
144 RE(,�LAIMiwca T liE Nicaii T of INAY
Site 3: Main Street between 4th and 5th Streets, Downtown Los Angeles
"Skid Row Revitalization Parklet"
Existing Conditions. -
Transitional area between -
revitalized Spring Street
and Skid Row, -
• Newly installed bike lane,
providing buffer between
pedestrians and moving
vehicles.
Potential Improvements.-
0 Continue streetscape
upgrading and
revitalization towards Skid
Row,
• Connect with other grass-
roots efforts like urban
gardening in the area,
• Install active recreation
parklet to provide more
opportunities for Skid Row
residents.
Figure 113. Concept for "Skid Row revitalization parklet," Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: India Brookover/Google Maps
Site 4: Hoover Street and Myra Avenue
"School Proximate Parklet"
Existing Conditions:
• Large but underutilized pedestrian
landing,
• Five schools within a one mile radius,
• Common pedestrian route between
transit stops and Silver Lake and
Echo Park neighborhoods,
• Skewed intersection that is
hazardous to pedestrians.
Potential Improvements:
• Active recreation parklet geared
toward neighborhood children,
• Possible expansion into nearby
surface parking lot,
• Possible site for public art installation,
• Redesign and possible narrowing of
intersection road space.
RE(.! ain4iivca liE Nicaii T of wAv 145
N yeS''!a
0 0-. A-Ocr 1.
Figure 114. Concept for "school proximate parklet," Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: India Brookover/Google Maps
L
146 RE(:! AIK4IIV(a i WE RI(;Ii i OF 1NAY
Site 5: 2nd Street and Alameda Avenue
"Culturally Significant Parklet"
Existing Conditions. -
Located between downtown Los Angeles'
Arts District and Little Tokyo,
• Traffic triangle/pedestrian refuge,
• Cars make right turns without stopping, posing
a danger to pedestrians.
Potential Improvements:
• Connect traffic triangle to adjacent sidewalk
for pedestrian safety,
• Culturally brand the area and create a sense
of place with design inspired by neighborhood
history,
• Involve active neighborhood organization,
Little Tokyo Service Center.
Figure 115. Concept for "culturally significant parklet," Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: India Brookover/Google Maps
0 F?E(:. AIM114(a i IAE RI(al-I i OF INAY 147
Site 6: Traction Avenue, south of 3rd Street
"LAs Diagonal Parklet"
Existing Conditions.-
0 Diagonal parking spaces,
• Commercial corridor with mixed -use housing, including artists' lofts,
• Recent increase in residents,42
• Proximity to Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-ARC),
• Limited amount of open space in neighborhood.
Potential Opportunity:
• Deep parklet, utilizing space created from underutilized diagonal
parking spaces,
• Design competition for SCI-ARC students,
• Increase open space in community,
• Potential active recreation parklet for SCI-ARC students, faculty, and
residents,
• Economic development potential by creating space for people to
linger and enjoy the neighborhood.
Figure 116. Concept for "LA's diagonal parklet."
Credit: India Brookover/Google Maps
148 HECLAIMINGA i WE RIGHT OF WAY
k
Figure 117. Rendering of "LA's diagonal parklet."
Credit: India Brookover
Site 7: Cesar Chavez Avenue and Grand Avenue
"Garden Space Parklet" and/or `Active Recreation Parklet
Existing Conditions.-
0 Traffic triangle,
• Redundant travel lane,
• Lack of open space and
fresh food in adjacent
area,
• High School for the
Performing Arts is located
across the street,
• High percentage of
elderly residents in the
neighborhood43
• Highly traveled pedestrian
intersection.
REC AIMING' i HE RIGW i OF WAY 149
Figure 118. Concept for parklets at Cesar Chavez Ave. and Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: India Brookover/Google Maps
15)0 RECLAIMING THE RIGA i i OF WAY
Potential Opportunity for
`Active Recreation Parklet"
• Convert redundant travel
lane, closing street with
planters, as used at the
Sunset Triangle Plaza,
• Allow pedestrians and
cyclists to safely travel
through area without
automobile traffic,
• Install outdoor exercise
equipment to facilitate
physical activity for high
school students and
seniors,
• Install tables for social
interaction.
rFmgu
ire 119. Rendering of "active recreation parklet," Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: Veena Samartha
ar AMERWnrM ajhi- AL
;bp-- iF -MV&
IQ V
&0,
Potential Opportunity for
"Garden Space Parklet"
• Convert redundant travel
lane, closing street with
planters, as used at the
Sunset Triangle Plaza,
• Install raised beds for
community gardening,
• Involve students from
high school as "garden
stewards" to learn about
urban agriculture,
• Create a safe pedestrian
area, creating an
opportunity for moderate
physical activity for seniors.
RECLAIMING THE RIGIA i OF WAY 151
le Figure 120. Rendering of "garden space paarkkl Figureet" Los Angeles, CA.
Credit: India Brookover IN
1 W*41. 4
` b4hL
15)2 RE(:, AIR4114(a i WE RI(ali i OF 1NAY
Footnotes
42. Downtown population increased from 35,884 people in 2000 to
51,329 people in 2010 (U.S census).
43. Twenty-seven percent of residents in census tract are over 65
years of age compared to 10 percent in the City of Los Angeles (2010
Census).
Appendix A: Los Angeles Bike Corral Maintenance Agreement
Maintenance Aclreement
On -Street Bicycle Parking Facility
Bicycle Corral
Marne and Location
The City of Los Angeles will install an on street bicycle parking facility (Bicycle Corral) at name
andiccairon. The bicycle corral will be located in the parking stall at name and location.
The business owner at name and location the owners) at said property enter into an
agreement with the City to maintain the Bicycle Corral and any associated maintenance
in adjacent parking spaces required due to the installation of the Bicycle Corral to City
standards.
To facilitate the installation of the Bicycle Corral, it is agreed that:
t. The Bicycle Corral and adjacent impacted parking spaceswill he swept and
otherwise cleared of all debris at least once perweek by Business Owner, Name
andLocaflon. All trash will be removed from the facility and disposed of in a
proper manner-
2- The Bicycle Corral and associated equipment will be kept free of graffiti and
stickers by Business Owner, Name and Location-
3- Business Owner, Name and Location Matt, will regularly maintain any
landscaping or plantings added to the facility design-
4- The Bicycle Corral will be visually inspected by Business Owner, Business Name
and Locaffon at least once a week for trash, graffiti. proper maintenance of the
bicycle parking equipment, landscaping and overall appearance of the facility.
The City will regularly inspect the site to determine that Business Owner, owner
of Business Name is properly maintaining the site.
5. Should errant motorists, vandalism, or neglect damage the site the City can
choose to replace the equipment or remove the Bicycle Corral in its entirety. If
funding is not available to replace the equipment or if it is determined the location
is underutilized for the purpose of parking bicycles the City reserves the right to
remove the Bicycle Corral.
8. Should citizen complaints be received by the City regarding the Bicycle Corral,
the following steps will be taken to resolve concems by the public:
a. The City will complete afield inspection of the site and a report will be filed
that reviews the condition of the Bicycle Corral to address the concerns of
citizen(s).
b. If the level of maintenance of the Bicycle Corral is deemed unacceptable
by the inspector of the site, Business Owner, Name and Location the will
be notified in writing of actions needed to be taken to bring the
maintenance of the site to the standard required by the City.
RECLAIMING THE RIGW i OF WAY 153
c_ Response to the complaint may result in the following action(s) by the
City_
I. No action;
ii. Awarning : or
iii. Revocation of this permit and removal of the Bicycle Corral by the
City.
7. Any changes upgrades or enhancements proposed by Business Owner, owner of
Business Name, must be approved, in writing, by the City prior to any change in
the design, appearance or equipment. Failure to obtain the City's permission in
writing for any changes, upgrades or enhancements could result in revocation of
this permit and removal of the Bicycle Corral by the City.
S. Should the business or property owner change hands or be transferred, the City
will retain the right to remove the Bicycle Corral unless the new business or
property owner enters into a new agreement with the City.
9. The City reserves the right to remove the Bicycle Corral at any time and to
revoke this agreement_
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this agreement by the
authorized representatives as of the dates indicted below:
BUSINESS NAME:
By: Date:
Svsiness Owner, Owner, Suwness Name
City of Los Angeles;
CITY OF LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION:
By:
Amir Sedadi, General Manager
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
Date:
By: Date:
Deputy, City Attorney
V54 RECLAIMINGA THE RIGW i OF INAY
Appendix B.: Interview Questions for City Staff
Design/Development:
• Describe the history of the program. Where did
the initial idea come from and how it came to be
as it is today?
• Please describe your program goals. Do you
have any written documentation on these goals?
• What are typical sites that you are using for
parklets? How do you select sites for parklets? Are
there established selection criteria? What are the
common surrounding land uses? Who owns the
land, or is it leased temporarily?
• Have parklets been installed? If yes, how many
and what is their typical size? Does the city plan
to allow more parklets to be installed?
• Are there landscaping/design features common
to all the parklets? If yes, of what kind? Also, if yes,
are these features required?
• Overall, what are the functions of the parklets?
Who are the primary users?
• Do you consider parklets as public spaces? If so,
how do you denote this to the public? Are there
restrictions to their access and use?
Implementation/Maintenance
• How is design and construction of the parklets
funded?
• Which departments are involved in parklet
regulation and development and what are
their roles? Has the city issued new ordinances
or policies for the development and regulation
of the parklets or are you using existing ones?
• Is a permit required? If so, who is eligible to
apply for a permit and how much does it cost?
• Is the public involved in the parklet development
process?
• How are the parklets maintained? Who is in
charge of their maintenance? Is there an
agreement about their maintenance which
you can share?
• How does the city handle liability concerns
about the parklets? Who must hold the
insurance and how much? Have you had any
liability issues to date?
Evaluation
• Do you have a process for evaluating the
parklets post -installation? If so, what are you
evaluating? Do you collect data both before
and after installation?
• What have been the impacts of the parklet
program? [Le. increased revenue at nearby
businesses, etc.]
• After installation, have you seen any relationship
between pedestrian traffic volumes in the area
and parklet usage?
• What have been the challenges associated
with this program?
• What have been notable successes and
failures?
• What are the lessons learned?
RE(',L ►IMllq(a iiE Nicaii T of INAY 1155)
Follow-up
• Do you have any other additional insights or
recommendations for further information?
• Do you have high resolution photos highlighting
the parklet projects?
• If we want to seek more details at a project
site level, which projects do you recommend
we use as case studies and whom should we
speak with for information about parklet design,
landscaping, and other project -level details?
• Are you aware of other similar programs in
other cities across the nation or the world?
1,56 RECLAIMING THE RIGIi i OF INKY
Appendix C: Interview Questions for Businesses
1. Why did your business support a parklet?
2. Did the project face any obstacles from your
municipality/city?
3. Did you cover the insurance for the parklet
project?
4. Challenges and successes about few different
elements of the parklet.
5. Please share any lessons learned regarding the
following:
A. Location and size
B. Design elements such as
lighting, seating, signage etc
C. Signage
6. What was your process for maintenance? Who
conducted the maintenance and who often?
Who paid for it?
7. Did the parklet help attract new customers? Did
you find the parklet profitable/worth it?
8. Do you have any other thoughts that could help
other businesses in other cities interested in having
a parklet next to their establishment?
9. Please describe any lessons learned regarding
the design and location of the parklet.
Appendix D: Interview Questions for Parklet Designers
Please describe the follow site characteristics of the
parklet:
A. Function (active recreation, quiet
relaxation, sidewalk dining, etc.)
B. Primary users
C. Surrounding land uses
D. Prior use of space (parking space,
median, traffic triangle, etc.)
E. Size
F. Duration of installation
2. Explain the design and its conception. In what way did
the site influence the design? What element have you
used to designate and differentiate the parklet from
the surrounding area?
3. What design elements were important to include and
why?
4. Describe the following landscaping and storm water
management elements:
A. Trees, planters and other
landscaping
B. Types of ground cover
C. Integration of best management
practices for managing water
sustainability
D. Shade
RE(:. AIM114ca IAE Nicaii T of INAY 157
5. Explain how you designed the project to maximize
safety and comfort for users? This includes safety from
crime, safety from traffic, buffer from air pollution and
safety with equipment and other on -site amenities)
6. How does the project convey that the parklet is open
to the public?
7. How much did the project cost and what were the
funding sources?
8. How well is the site being used? Do you know of any
post -installation evaluation efforts? If yes, what are the
findings?
9. If you were to design the parklet again, what would you
do differently?
10. Do you have any other recommendations and lessons
learned regarding planning, financing, design, or other
items that you care to share with other designers?
1.58 RE(:! AIII4IIV(a i liE RI(ali i OF INKY
Appendix E: Interview References
Akhiam, L. (2012, April 2). Complete Streets Coordinator, Pacoima Beautiful.
(M. Brozen, Interviewer)
Ben -Amos, A. (2012, February 20). Planner, Mayor's Office of Transportation and Utilities, City of Philadelphia.
(N. LaMontagne, Interviewer)
Bohn, M. (2012, May 31). Principal, Studio 1 1 1 Architects.
(M. Brozen, Interviewer)
Choi, J. (2012, May 9). Owner, Morning Lights Cafe.
(I. Brookover, Interviewer)
Clementi, F. (2012, April 1). Principal, Rios Clementi Hale Studio.
(M. Brozen, Interviewer)
Curnyn, S. (2012, June 27). Project Architect, Matarozzi Pelsinger Builders.
(M. Brozen, Interviewer)
Dingle, J. (2012, May 5). Principal, DIGSAU.
(V. Snehansh, Interviewer)
Dittus, P. (2012, March 15). Architect.
(N. LaMontagne, Interviewer)
Ghannam, R. (2012, April 1). Principal, RG Architecture.
(N. LaMontagne, Interviewer)
RE(:. Nin4ii4ca IAE NicaiA T of wAY 159
Janoff, E. (2012, February 28). City Planner, Office of Planning and Sustainability, NYC Department of Transportation.
(M. Brozen, Interviewer)
Jawa, A. (2012, May 1). Homeowner.
(V. Snehansh, Interviewer)
Kassay, K. (2012, February 29). City Planner, City of Vancouver.
(N. LaMontagne, Interviewer)
Miller, B. (2012, March 15). Project Manager, City of Oakland Planning Department.
(M. Brozen, Interviewer)
Ocanas, M. (2012, April 15). Policy Analyst, LA County Department of Public Health.
(M. Brozen, Interviewer)
Pittman, B. (2012, February 29). Right-of-way Coordinator, Department of Public Works,City of Long Beach.
(V. Snehansh, Interviewer)
Powers, A. (2012, March 20). City Planner, Pavement to Parks Program, San Francisco City Planning Department.
(M. Brozen, Interviewer)
Rose, O. (2012, March 1). Montreal Urban Ecology Centre, City of Montreal.
(N. LaMontagne, Interviewer)
• g A i
]Demi= azette
P.C. PDX 1607, FA -FT" EVILLE, AP, ?2702. 4701-4=2.1700 - FAX 47g-695-1115 • %'`W\!b .NWADG.CCM
AFFIDAVIT OF PUBLICATION
I, Brittany Smith, do solemnly swear that I am the Accounting Legal Clerk of the
Northwest Arkansas Democrat -Gazette, a daily newspaper printed and
published in said County, State of Arkansas; that I was so related to this
publication at and during the publication of the annexed legal advertisement
the matter of- Notice pending in the Court, in said County, and at the dates of
the several publications of said advertisement stated below, and that during said
periods and at said dates, said newspaper was printed and had a bona fide
circulation in said County; that said newspaper had been regularly printed and
published in said County, and had a bona fide circulation therein for the period of
one month before the date of the first publication of said advertisement; and that
said advertisement was published in the regular daily issues of said newspaper
as stated below.
City of Fayetteville
Ord 6456
Was inserted in the Regular Edition on:
July 11, 2021
Publication Charges: $110.96
dea
Brittany 9mith
Subscribed and sworn to before me
This 12 day of , 2021.
Notary Public
My Commission Expires: Zj2,)t4
**NOTE**
Please do not pay from Affidavit.
Invoice will be sent.
Cathy Wiles
Benton COUNTY
NOTARY PUBLIC — ARKANSAS
My Commission Expires 02.20-2024
Commission No, 12397118
Ordinance: 6456
File Number. 2021-0471
AMEND § 178.02 SIDEWALK
CAFES:
AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND §
178.02 SIDEWALK CAFES TO
STREAMLINE AND MAKE
PERMANENT THE SIDEWALK
CAFE AND PARKLET
DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES FOR
USE BY RESTAURANTS, BARS,
PERFORMANCE VENUES, AND
OTHER BUSINESSES
WHEREAS, the use of sidewalk space is
currently allowed through the sidewalk
cafit permit process but the use of City
owned parking spaces for parkicts and
the lifting of review and permitting
processes for sidewalk cafes and parklets
that were authorized by Ordinance 6332
have ended with the expiration of the
Governor's emergency declaration; and
WHEREAS, the proposed amendments
to § 178.02 clarify the process for
businesses wishing to utilize sidewalk
cafes or parklets in hopes of providing
additional options for expanded dining
and permanently codifying the review
and permitting process for parklets and
sidewalk cafes allows these types of uses
to create a sense of place throughout the
W THEREFORE, BE IT
DAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL
THE CITY OF FAYETTEVILLE,
Section l: That the City Council of the
City of Fayetteville, Arkansas hereby
repeals § 179.02 - Sidewalk Cafes of the
Fayetteville Unified Development Code
and enacts a new § 179.02 Sidewalk
Cafes and Parklets as seen in Exhibit A
attached hereto and made a part hereof.
PASSED and APPROVED on 7/6/2021
Approved:
Lioneld Jordan, Mayor
Attest:
Kara Paxton, City Clerk Treasurer
75439105 July 11, 2021