Parklets as a transition tool
Parklet system helps cities to turn human & green
Challenge
Since years Rotterdam is undergoing a rapid transition towards a human and green place to be. How? By adjusting its planning practices to be able to accommodate this change, making use of tactical urbanism.
Years ago some clever planners at the municipality invented the bicycle parklets, to reduce on-street parking and provide more space for cyclists. Over the years it gained a lot of experience with tactical urbanism and parklets in particular. But they usually turned out to be expensive, difficult to manage and therefore impossible to scale up. The city asked local agency for urban change Humankind and Business Design Agency to come up with a solution.
Photo by Humankind
Why
50% of space in cities is taken up by cars....
...while in the city we face enormous challenges and where solutions compete for scarce space: housing shortage, climate change, energy transition, greening, mobility.
Many municipalities want to reduce the number of parking spaces, but eliminating parking spaces is not easy:
The procedure is unclear, residents don't know how it works, takes a long time. Support is often obtained through co-creation. These are slow processes and the outcome does not always fit within municipal policy. Residents cannot imagine the new situation.
Photo by Humankind
How
Easy to apply for, with a clear procedure and quick to realize. It is temporary so that residents can experience the new interpretation of the parking space.
A modular design ensures that solutions remain within the spatial framework of the municipality and people can visualize the outcome.
The use of the PRKLT is monitored. These data can be used to make a well-founded decision for a permanent solution.
In other words, it is a transition tool as it enables inhabitants to change the use of their streets.
Photo by Humankind
Realize
The PRKLT-system has been made open source so more cities and neighbourhoods can use it to change.
On bit.ly/parklt anyone interested can download the design and gets access to the participation tools created. It comes with a guide for municipalities to apply tactical urbanism and update their planning practices.
Rotterdam shows it is possible, we can create future-proof human cities, one street at a time.
Photo by Humankind
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