Designing a practical public space, as many South Floridians believe, does not come easy. It must involve a large expanse of land and a transit accessible location, right? Sao Paulo, Brazil is yet another world city that demonstrates the opposite. Activists retrofit parallel parking spots into roadside cafes, street playgrounds, a venue for a local band to play a gig, or an outdoor studio for an artist to display their work for pedestrians and drivers to see. I have seen this popular intervention in Europe, and the reason it works so well lies in parklets' convenience: a business (i.e. a restaurant) may use the space for private gain but cannot deny access to public to use the space as well. You may find waitresses serving coffee drinkers, freelancers selling their work, or dance classes taking place in the same spot. That's what makes this concept a great one. Parklets encourage diversity at little to no cost which is much needed for the 21st century city to thrive. After all, the three steps of sustainability involve promoting quality, economic benefit, and social equality. But the concept does not work unless a city government produces some ground rules regarding maintenance of parklets. Sao Paulo, however, has established public policy on public space issues in ordinance with the city's master plan. Best of all, parklets indicate to drivers that pedestrians come first without taking away that much needed sidewalk space. I hope we have the opportunity to pilot parklets projects in cities in the years to come.
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| Cafe Parklet in Seattle |
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| Bike Parklet in Miami |
