ParkletDC
Creating Parks From Parking Spaces in Washington DC
In 2013 I created ParkletDC, a mini campaign to legalize street eateries and parklets in Washington DC. Our goal was to create “Pavement to Parks program” allowing businesses to sponsor street eateries outside their businesses to expand the green space in Washington D.C.
We were successful!
And when the pandemic hit, the program proved hugely consequential allowing small businesses to provide outdoor dining across the city.
Here’s a snapshot of that effort and campaign.
What's a Parklet?
A Parklet is a mini-park created by extending existing sidewalk into a parking spot. Just like any other park, it's a public space for sitting, reading, relaxing and conversing.
Why Parklets in DC?
Washington DC has lots of big parks, but most are far from where we live, work and play. And our sidewalks provide only limited public space.
Parklets could allow us to have a park on every block. Studies of Parklet installation in San Francisco showed parklets have increased pedestrian traffic, benefited small business and provided space for neighbors to get to know one another with very minimal impact.
Check out DCist's coverage of Park(ing) day and Parklet DC's efforts.
How Can I Help?
Many other cities-- including San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and Boston-- have created a Pavement to Parks program, allowing business owners and ordinary citizens can sponsor a parklet. But we have no process for permitting Parklets in Washingto DC.
You can help bring Parklets to DC by:
Writing Mayor Gray and the Office of Planning and urging them to initiate a Pavement to Parks program in DC.
Visiting one of the many parklets during DC's Parking Day, on Friday, September 20
Sharing your support for Parklet DC on Facebook
More Information
Want more information about how people are bringing parklets to their cities? Urban planners at UCLA have created a toolkit [pdf] for starting a parklet. Follow the Tactical Urbanism collaborative on Facebook for to learn about how people are finding creative ways to build more vibrant and liveable communities.
Here are some other examples of how cities across the country have embraced parklets:
S.F. parklets emerge as neighborhood fixtures (San Francisco)
12 Westwood Parking Ideas (Including an Outdoor Dancefloor) (Los Angeles)
Park it at a Parklet (Boston)
Downtown's First Two Parking Space Parks Now Open on Spring (Lost Angeles)
Transforming parking spots to parklets: Philadelphia joins an urban trend (Philly)
The littlest parks could make the biggest civic changes (Grist)
Parklets give every block a little park (Greater Greater Washington)
