Parklets for the people

Freemantle, Western Australia

I love simple ways to take back public space which is typically dominated by cars. Parklets are the perfect way to trial the creation of new public spaces for people to gather and connect and change the way people think about the use of spaces for cars.

They are a simple, low cost, quick and effective way to add more greenery, shade, seating, space for kids and pups to play and add some interest and vibrancy to a public space. When co-located with an active use like a cafe they start to create new hubs for community connection and create places people like to linger and create new and spontaneous connections with people in their neighbourhoods.

I can think of a few ideal spots in my local neighbourhood and know some Cafe owners and community members I’ve spoken to support the idea. The vision includes, planting, bike parking, art and shady seating.

On a recent holiday to Western Australia we saw some great examples in City of Perth and City of Vincent of parklets being rolled out across the respective local areas with distinctive character suited to the streetscape context and neighbourhood vibe.

In Melbourne, Moreland City Council are bolding leading the way by making it super easy for cafe and shop owners to apply to have one - I wish more Council’s would follow suit in reducing the red tape to get in touch to see how we could streamline the approach for your community. They even have a handy instagram account outlining the benefits, process and showcasing local examples for inspiration.

This type of community led placemaking can really transform an area in a low cost, temporary way to change the perceptions of space allocation and support behaviour change.