With the opening last weekend of the city's first pilot parklet in the neighborhood of Eagle Rock, Los Angeles is hoping to join the ranks of cities hopping on the low-cost trend in public space creation.
While the Sunset Triangle Plaza may be the first co-called "parklet" to have been built in the city (though it converted more than just parking spaces), the park just opened last weekend on the site of a former illegal parking space in Eagle Rock is the first of the city's official pilot parklet program to be completed. The city has a long way to go to catch up to the likes of San Francisco, and their 40 such spaces.
Sam Lubell describes the project, which is the result of a truly collaborative effort:
"The $30,000 space is modest in scope: it features stained wood plank flooring, curving built-in wood furniture, and mosaic tile furniture and siding. But as the city's first parklet it represents a major milestone. The parklets initiative involves intensive coordination between several city departments, including the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Planning, the Bureau of Engineering, the Bureau of Street Services, the mayor’s office, and various city council offices. The parklet was sponsored by LA councilman Jose Huizar, planned and coordinated by non-profit Living Streets LA, and built by the LA Conservation Corps (which gives at-risk young adults work experience through conservation and service projects)."
"This first round of [four] parklets took more than two years to realize, not because of the complexity of their designs, but because of the significant community outreach and input involved and the development of an entirely new approval process, which is now coming into shape. Future parklets should take less time to complete, said Tricia Roberts, deputy planning director for Los Angeles councilman Jose Huizar’s [sic]."
FULL STORY: Power to the Parklet

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive
Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.

Car Designs Make it Harder to See Pedestrians
Blind spots created by thicker pillars built to withstand rollover crashes are creating dangerous conditions for people outside vehicles.

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie