What is a "Parklet"?

Question: What is a Parklet?

Answer:  The quickest way to answer is to first show you a 1 minute video animation.



Question: Can you show me REAL examples?

Answer: Yes! San Fransico has the largest growing Parklet program in the country(30+), however, the closest city to install a Parklet that I know of is Boston, Massachusetts.  (NYC has converted entire streets to parks, so let me start with smaller examples) Below is part of a news article from Metro.us covering Boston's first Parklets:

Parklets: A new kind of public space in Boston

By Morgan RousseauPublished: September 12, 2013

Boston has opened its first two parklets, which swap parking spots for outdoor seating.

“These new parklets provide great outdoor seating options for local residents and customers of our small business,” said Mayor Thomas Menino. “I hope everyone will pay a visit to this newest addition of open space to the Mission Hill business district.”

According to city officials, the public spaces are designed to bring activity to neighborhood and commercial districts by offering people a place to sit, relax and meet for conversation.

Question: Can a Parklet increase local business?

Answer: I would say YES! and so do the business owners in front of the Parklets. Streetflims reported that the "owners of Mojo [Bicycle Cafe] say business is up 30% and they have had to hire more staff." Here is the short video...  Mojo's profile interview starts at 37 seconds into the video.



Question: I thought making more parking for cars increased business, how could a Parklet increase business?

Answer: I will let Boston Globe writer, PAUL MCMORROW explain...

Parklets a lively lure to downtowns

By Paul McMorrow

  | GLOBE COLUMNIST   APRIL 22, 2014

"Clusters of brick and mortar retailers can’t top the Internet [on convenience], so they need to change the game and give shoppers reasons to come downtown. This means rethinking public spaces that haven’t been touched in decades, like streets and lifeless sidewalks, and reprogramming them with parklets and food trucks. It means creating unique experiences on a pedestrian scale, because when pedestrians come downtown, they spend money."

Question: Who funds a Parklet Project?

Answer: Anyone interested in making it happen.  The town, a community group, or a local business.  Here is an example of a Bakery that successfully raised funds to build a Parklet:

Question: How does a city get started?  Can we do a test run for just one day?

Answer: YES...  Montclair, NJ put down some astroturf, seats, and a piano.  They then fed the meter and called it "Park(ing) Day".

Montclair Parking Spaces are for… Music and Dance?

BY Erika Bleiberg | FRIDAY, SEP 17, 2010

As soon as I turned the corner from Crescent St. onto S. Park, I could hear the sweet tinkling of a piano. Following my ears down the block towards Bloomfield Avenue, I came upon a scene that could become a familiar sight, if plans for the redevelopment of the street, which is currently in the works, were to include public performance space.

Question: Do you have a video of this event?  I would love to hear that piano.

Answer: Why yes I do!  :)



Question: Is this really something that can happen in Englewood?

Answer: With the town's support, I will propose a Parklet for September 2014.  (9/13 or 9/19)

Question: What street do you plan to do this?

Answer: South Dean Street in front of Patisserie Florentine.

Question: What do the local business think of this idea?

Answer: Tomer Zilkha, the owner of Patisserie is supportive of this idea.

Question: What will the Englewood Parklet look like?

Answer: I have artist renderings and plans on the next blog post.  Click here...

http://englewoodnjbikewalk.blogspot.com/2014/08/a-parklet-on-south-dean-street-in.html

Question: Will everyone like this idea?

Answer: No, but their comments are funny.  (Lets end this blog post with a little Parklet humor)



Thanks for reading and watching.

-Ron Grosinger, Englewood, NJ resident.