'Kit of Parts' Streamlines the Process of Converting Streets into Parks

Marissa Gluck writes of the People St program in Los Angeles, especially details of the so-called “Kit of Parts” for plazas, parklets, and bike parking. The kits provide a “streamlined framework” for approval of projects that convert street space into public spaces.

“The kits were designed with varying price points, so community groups with fewer financial resources can still afford to install parklets. More complex configurations are available to groups with access to greater funding sources,” writes Gluck.

Gluck’s coverage includes the design and construction details of how a community would implement the kits. Here Gluck quotes architect Daveed Kapor, one of the design master minds behind the project, who describes the accessibility of the kits: "Anyone can build these…It’s really simple construction, inexpensive to build, and can be removed quickly if it has to be."

People St’s kits are a product of the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, especially the city’s two pedestrian coordinators, Margot Ocañas and Valerie Watson. People St is currently accepting applications, with a goal for projects to be installed by November.