Parklets
San Francisco Supervisors Vote to Keep Parklets, Close Them at Night
The pandemic-era outdoor seating arrangements can stay, but a last-minute amendment lets business owners close them overnight.
How Much Land Is Lost to Wide Streets?
New research assesses the land value of street space in 20 of the largest counties in the United States.
Pandemic Street to Outlast Pandemic in California (By 2.5 Months)
Gov. Newsom's unexpected announcement that the pandemic would end on June 15 led one city to consider reopening its al fresco street and parklets to motor vehicles. After hearing from the public, the city council sided with diners over drivers.
Outdoor Dining a Victim of its Own Success in One Wealthy Bay Area City
The California city has received complaints about overcrowding even as the program sought to create more outdoor public space during the pandemic.
Op-Ed: Don't Reverse the Progress Made by 'Pandemic Streets'
In many cities, the public realm saw a drastic shift towards pedestrian-oriented infrastructure. The L.A. Times editorial board argues we should keep it that way.
The Pandemic Revealed Public Space as 'Essential Infrastructure'
COVID-19 restrictions have highlighted the importance of abundant, multi-use open spaces accessible to all.
The Metrics of Outdoor Dining
Outdoor dining programs are proving popular in cities all over the United States, as a lifeline for both restaurants and residents seeking some social normalcy. Data from San Francisco reveal the numbers behind the phenomenon.
Reopening Main Street
A Long Beach-based urban design firm shares design tips for reopening main streets while balancing public health and economic concerns—making space for parklets, pedestrians, and al fresco dining.
New Car-Free Public Space Remains a Challenge to Create
A new study from Drexel University's Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation surveys the obstacles and challenges making it more difficult to build car-free public spaces, like plazas and parklets, in Philadelphia.
Public Opinion Differs on New Bay Area Road Diet
Some love it; some hate it: The main drag of Downtown Los Gatos, at the southern end of the South Bay Area, got a complete streets makeover.
Role of S.F. Parklets as Public Space Not Always Clear
Parklets in San Francisco are available for public use, but often they serve as extensions of the dining rooms of eateries.
West Hollywood Pilots Pop-Up Walkability Improvements
Six-month pilot projects along the Sunset Strip include a parklet and painted sidewalk extensions by a street artist.
Chicago Parklet Designed to Be Flexible and Cost Effective
A newly installed parklet in Chicago is part of a larger program to engage the city’s public spaces.
Did This Quiet Colorado Town Invent Parklets?
Before parklets dominated San Francisco’s Mission Street, a small bedroom community nestled between Boulder and Denver used parklets to completely transform its downtown.
Pavement Parks: a Better Parklet Alternative
Too often, street-side parklets become little more than semi-private patios for the businesses that sponsor them. Pavement parks, replacing dangerous intersections, may be a more worthwhile option.
Proposed Parklet Divides San Francisco Gay Neighborhood
A small cafe in San Francisco's gay neighborhood, the Castro, proposed a parklet on two parking spaces that is dividing merchants. Some see it as a potential haven for homeless and illegal activity, as well as objecting to the loss of parking.
Students Design and Build Downtown Portland's First Parklet
The newest addition to the city of Portland's Street Seats program is the result of a student team of designers and builders from Portland State University.
Architecture Critic Finds Faults in Chicago Placemaking
Architecture Critic Blair Kamin wants more from Make Way for People, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's placemaking program, and finds faults with the Lincoln Hub as an example of tactical urbanism.
Cleveland Clears the Way for its First Parklet
Cleveland will soon have its first park let—thanks to the leadership of the nonprofit Historic Gateway Neighborhood Corp., the collective generosity of Cleveland Collectivo and more, and the approval of the Cleveland Planning Commission.
Does the Loss of 591 Parking Spaces Constitute a Crisis?
That's how two San Francisco Chronicle reporters are painting the loss of 591 parking spaces to bike lanes, parklets, and bus rapid transit this year, after losing 180 downtown spaces last year. Streetsblog's Aaron Bialick responds.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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