Parklets: Turning parking spots into community spaces
SEATTLE -- On the corner of 15th and East Harrison, a blustery fall day doesn't stop business for the Parfait Ice Cream truck.
It's been at this spot almost every Friday since late April when the old firehouse parking lot became an urban oasis.
"I think it was a sense of delightful surprise. It was a sunny day and people loved the coffee, loved the ice cream, loved being able to just sit and talk to their neighbors," said Roger Tucker. "It was just a wonderful event."
What was once just a one-day event could soon become a permanent fixture as the Emerald City explores options to add green to the asphalt jungle.
The idea, named a "parklet," permanently transforms existing parking spaces into community spaces, adding greenery and public seating. Parklets are currently in place in nearly 30 spots in San Francisco, and now Seattle is exploring the idea, said Rick Sheridan with the Seattle Department of Transportation.
Tucker's design firm, Environmental Works, hosted the pop-up park in April as part of a joint celebration for both the firm's 42nd anniversary and Earth Day. A landscape architecture firm helped design a space with outdoor seating, and a neighborhood coffee shop supplied beverages, he said.
"Anything to create community gathering space is something we'd be really supportive of," Tucker said. "I think my favorite thing is just bringing people together, and especially bringing people together in what used to be a spot that was dedicated to one vehicle."
However, not all Capitol Hill drivers want to give the idea the green light.
"I mean, I guess, what's the benefit for the business? They would have a park in front of their area?" asked Marta Helpenstell, as she paid for parking along the Pike-Pine corridor Friday night. "I like that concept, but I feel like Seattle does a pretty good job. I mean, Cal Anderson's right there, and Madison Park's up there, so it's like, if people want to go to those areas, they're there for them."
"First of all, I love more parks," said Ryan Smith, after parking his scooter nearby. "The other reason is, the less parking that's up here, I think the better public transportation will get and the more public transportation that's used, it's better for everyone."
For now, city officials would be interested in issuing permits for parklets if it can find communities and businesses that want them, Sheridan said.
"Green space, community space, people getting together is much more important than cars," added Tucker.
It's been at this spot almost every Friday since late April when the old firehouse parking lot became an urban oasis.
"I think it was a sense of delightful surprise. It was a sunny day and people loved the coffee, loved the ice cream, loved being able to just sit and talk to their neighbors," said Roger Tucker. "It was just a wonderful event."
What was once just a one-day event could soon become a permanent fixture as the Emerald City explores options to add green to the asphalt jungle.
The idea, named a "parklet," permanently transforms existing parking spaces into community spaces, adding greenery and public seating. Parklets are currently in place in nearly 30 spots in San Francisco, and now Seattle is exploring the idea, said Rick Sheridan with the Seattle Department of Transportation.
Tucker's design firm, Environmental Works, hosted the pop-up park in April as part of a joint celebration for both the firm's 42nd anniversary and Earth Day. A landscape architecture firm helped design a space with outdoor seating, and a neighborhood coffee shop supplied beverages, he said.
"Anything to create community gathering space is something we'd be really supportive of," Tucker said. "I think my favorite thing is just bringing people together, and especially bringing people together in what used to be a spot that was dedicated to one vehicle."
However, not all Capitol Hill drivers want to give the idea the green light.
"I mean, I guess, what's the benefit for the business? They would have a park in front of their area?" asked Marta Helpenstell, as she paid for parking along the Pike-Pine corridor Friday night. "I like that concept, but I feel like Seattle does a pretty good job. I mean, Cal Anderson's right there, and Madison Park's up there, so it's like, if people want to go to those areas, they're there for them."
"First of all, I love more parks," said Ryan Smith, after parking his scooter nearby. "The other reason is, the less parking that's up here, I think the better public transportation will get and the more public transportation that's used, it's better for everyone."
For now, city officials would be interested in issuing permits for parklets if it can find communities and businesses that want them, Sheridan said.
"Green space, community space, people getting together is much more important than cars," added Tucker.
I love this idea and the positive impact it will have - aesthetically and community wise. I am curious about one main thing however: liability. Since parklets will be bringing people closer to roads and traffic, the concern does arise that traffic-to-human accidents may be increased. Yes, parklets will probably slow traffic down, but they will also bring people closer to cars. Here is my question: if a business in Seattle decides to put a parklet into the parking space in front of their business, if an accident occurs can that business be sued? I realize that parklets are "public space" but I am still seeking some clarity on this aspect. Also, is the the business owner's responsibility to maintain the parklet? And, further, can another person (not associated with the business) make alterations to the parklet?Â
And were are people supposed to park their cars?
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If there is one thing Seattle needs, it is MORE parking.
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To all of you frustrated by McGinn's stupidity, I invite you to come shop on the Eastside where the parking is free and plentiful.
This is pie in the sky philosophy. Â Take parking spots away from customers thinking it will induce them to take public transportation. Â What it will do is drive their customers somewhere else they CAN park. Â One thing that they need to watch for is building codes specify a specific number of parking spaces required for any business. Â If these businesses convert their parking to park space then they may fall below the minimum required number of spaces and run afoul of the code.Â
Liberal logic at it's finest. Make it more difficult to support the businesses.
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Funny, I live right there and have never seen people hanging out at that spot like it shows in the picture.
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That parking lot is tiny, and right in front of a video rental store. But there is plenty of free parking anyway right nearby.
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Seems really odd to get a quote from someone on this in the Pike/Pine area where you have to pay for parking and it not really that close to this "parklet" anyway.Â
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And why would anyone up on 15th near that parklet go to Madison Park or Cal Anderson when Volunteer Park is like 4 blocks away?Â
Yup, brought to you straight from the land of fruits and nuts.
More Sierra Club inspired buffonery.
Parklets? Seriously? They saw it in SF did they?
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What they want is more hipster-beatnik habitat to compare trendy frames and discuss the various tax increases that will finally better their lives.
What they will get are druggies and bums living in fecal harmony under tarps and shopping carts.
Looks like one more reason NOT to visit Seattle. Lots of parks already, but they're willing to push even more people away by removing parking. Is Seattle really so thick-headed that they want to make it viable ONLY for people who live there? I work for a company that has offices in Seattle and Bellevue. When the option to move to the Bellevue site came up, I took it. I haven't been back to Seattle (except for the occasional game) for anything since then. No reason to go where I (and my money) are not wanted or welcome. I can't use public transportation so must drive. Any place that actively works against my trans options will receive none of my dollars, or my recommendations for visitors either. Plenty to do in our region, and I'll enjoy watching Seattle's downtown whither in non-tourist seasons because of their choices.
@theToucan They can't keep the parks that already exist maintained and yet these idiots want to create "Parklets" Nucking futs these people are.
 @theToucan Haha, Bellevue, the place where all shallow people congregate. If you can't use public transportation to get to Seattle, you are enept, it's really very easy. No tourists go to Bellevue. Bellevue has a shopping mall, that's it. This parklet is not public parking, it's private parking. But please stay away, too many of Seattle's problems come from people who don't live in Seattle.Â
 @McLugnut FYI my working situation doesn't fall within any Metro/ST transit schedule, in any iteration. Wasn't available for Seattle, and it's not available for Bellevue. My return time in the evening/morning isn't on their schedules. Feel free to mock away, it Just Doesn't Exist contrary to your snide opinion.
OBTW< I know This Particular Parklet is on private property. You did read far enough into the article to realize it's something the city wants to do elsewhere too, right? So it wouldn't JUST be private spots used?
 @theToucan Yes, it's quite clear that you have no idea where in Seattle this is or any knowledge about that particular neighborhood. There is no parking shortage and this is nowhere near downtown where there actually is a parking shortage.Â
 @caphillkid Yup, because the whole article was ONLY about THIS particular parklet, and no others. Disregard anything about the city wanting to do this elsewhere...
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If you think Capitol Hill doesn't have a parking shortage, you qualify as a Grade 'A' Moron.
I first heard of this concept when hipsters on Capital Hill would set up "parklets" in front of their buildings. This forced others to park further away. On top of that, they were less than 2 blocks away from a real park.
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Use the parks your tax dollars are already supporting!
 @jedifarfy I've lived on Capitol Hill for almost 10 years and have never seen anyone set up a parklet in front of their buildings.Â
"Green space, community space, people getting together is much more important than cars," added Tucker.
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I believe what Tucker really meant to say was, "Social engineering via FORCING people into public transportation, forcing people into buses where they are subject to crime from street thugs and sitting next to homeless people who smell like urine & feces, driving small business owners out of business by eliminating customers who can no longer drive to their stores and creating job loss are more important than cars and is a really really good idea".
 @Sydthepiper And why should my tax dollars go to support your free or reduced price parking? There are plenty of parking lots in this city. Free enterprise should run parking, not government subsidized parking welfare.
@EnterprisingOne@Sydthepiper
Why should my tax dollars go to support public transportation that I have no need for? Why canât those leaches pay their own way? Not for profit parking is almost nonexistent in The Peoples Socialist of Seattle. In fact, almost any convenient parking is hard to find there already. This is right up there with rainbows and unicorns. Â
@McLugnut
Not sure how we got from a feel good mini-park to war, but carry on young sir, carry on.Â
 @oldster70 Sounds great, you can pay off the next war for oil without the public's help. The spaces are private so grip to the landlord. Funny the video business isn't complaining- that we know of- and that's their parking.Â
It's already a huge pain to try and find a parking spot in Seattle. I hardly go to Seattle anymore because of it. Do we really need a place for people to gather and shoot the ....? Aren't parks enough, coffee shops, etc? Also, looks like a place homeless folks would eventually take over.
"Â the less parking that's up here, I think the better public transportation"
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Sounds like a WSDOT transportation planner designing more congestion to force people into expensive, publicly funded mass transit failures
 @LockesChild That's my neighborhood. This article is pretty silly. We have no parking shortage, even directly on 15th there. And parking is free.Â
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@n9078jk4 I tell you what, when mass transist in this area actually becomes EFFICENT and TIMELY I'll take it. Otherwise I'm going to keep driving my truck, because its pointless for me to spend $9.75 and an hour an a half to go to and from work when it takes me 15 minutes and 8 miles to drive it. Screw metro.
Seattle USED to be a really beautiful place it was well managed and the people were nice and considerate. It wasn't until this new lets make Seattle something that resembles every other big city in this country with it's bad attitude and "me" people that it went downhill real quick.
 @n9078jk4 Not going to happen. Even with the lies about peak oil and AGW Americans still recognize that personal transportation equals freedom and prosperity. You wish to spend 2-4 hours a day getting from work to home? Go ahead.
 @n9078jk4 Even though that will also eliminate the last vestiges of paying jobs, residents with those jobs, commuters to those jobs who have to park somewhere, businesses selling to people driving to them?  It's a recipe for economic disaster, which is certain to be followed by localized social breakdown. Â
This Great Soviet of WA keeps working to force us out of our private cars.........by more taxes, and now by stupid ideas like this!!!!!
Oh, well if San Francisco is doing it... more silliness from our city "leaders".
Seattle's Holy War against cars and businesses will eventually bring the anti-business voters precisely what they've voted for....a city that businesses are desperately fleeing and a bloated government that has to enact endless taxes in order to sustain the wasteful, nonproductive programs that their ideology demands.
Look at Detroit for a vision of the not-too-distant future......Seattle is merely on a 'slow motion' trajectory along a very similar path, and has been for decades.
Ummmm, Â there might be too many ppl......
Are you kidding me? Yeah, there's a good idea; Let's purposely give up more parking in a city that already has the worst parking around to make way for areas where more homeless people and creeps of other kind are gonna hang out. That's the kind of community they're bringing together. And how is this good for business? People already avoid some areas because of parking! The less parking that's up here, the better public transportation will get and it's better for everyone? These stupid hippies need to wake up and come into the real world! This is one of the stupidest ideas I've ever heard of!
And I think the last sentence says it all
 @Zoso Exactly. What happens when all your friends live around Seattle? Can't bus to any of them in less than and hour and a half, but can't drive to them without parking a mile away. Guess you need closer friends. Sorry everyone I know that moved out of my area!
"Hey! Party at 45th and University Way! SWEET! I'll get Lumpy to bring the Steel Reserves..."
 @Sid Vishess That brings up a good point. These cute "parklets" will become hangouts for the homeless and thug-types after dark. Maybe after a few muggings they'll come to their senses about this idea. Besides, 9 months a year, who wants to be sitting around outside around here?!
We already have PUH-LEN-TY of green to our "asphalt jungle"! Parking space are vital for commercial and residential parking. These parklets are going to become places where homeless people hang out in residential neighborhoods. Time to impeach the mayor. The LAST thing this city needs is more stupid "green" ideas like this bullsh*t.
Its a nice idea but they just took away the free buses and Seattle has become so dangerous to visit anymore, businesses are losing money due to the lack of parking and then raising parking fees, so, whos gonna sit in these parklets? Bumlets and junkylets!