Parklets are innovative, dynamic public spaces that are installed onto on-street car-parking spots. These very small spaces have had a very large and lasting impact on city streets. How Good Are Parklets? is the first book to critically examine the parklet’s purposes, formats and impacts. It traces the parklet’s history, from its invention in 2005 as an experiment that tactically reclaimed street space for broader public use, to its surge in popularity worldwide after the COVID-19 pandemic for outdoor dining, community gathering and play. Drawing together archival research, expert interviews, typological analysis, mapping, field observation and design research, this book examines parklets’ design, production and implementation across varying urban contexts. By examining a wide range of contemporary practices, this book identifies parklets’ potentials to reshape streets, meet diverse social needs and foster community engagement. This book situates parklets within the wider push towards deploying temporary and tactical strategies in the planning and management of cities. Its deep enquiry into one question about one type of spatial intervention contributes new insights into the complex interplays of actors, interests, processes and materials that are currently transforming the urban landscape – one parking space at a time.
Table of Contents:
Introduction I. THE PARKLET’S FORMAT 1. A brief history of parklets 2. Parklet design II. THE PARKLET’S CONTEXT 3. Mapping parklet locations in Melbourne as an indicator of street capacity 4. Contexts and clustering 5. The contested value of parklets III. THE PARKLET’S FUTURE 6. From ‘pop-up’ to permanent 7. Creating a public, playful parklet: design practice and the COVID-19 pandemic 8. ‘Community parklets’ 9. Parklets and the public good
About the Author :
Quentin Stevens is Professor in the School of Architecture and Urban Design at RMIT University in Melbourne. He studied temporary uses of urban spaces in Germany as an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow and led a recent Australian Research Council funded project that examined temporary and tactical urbanism in Australia and internationally. His publications include Temporary and Tactical Urbanism (2022), The Ludic City (2007), Loose Space (2007) and Activating Urban Waterfronts (2020).
Review :
"Quentin Stevens explores with brio the evolution of parklets in Australian, European, and North American cities demonstrating how they evolved and diversified over time. A fascinating book and a must-read for those interested in the reclaiming of streets for public use and the temporary and more permanent transformations affecting cities during and after the COVID-19 pandemic."
Lauren Andres, Professor, Bartlett School of Planning, University College London, UK
"Parklets have demonstrated versatility in addressing an impressive range of goals. Whether you are a novice or seasoned in the field, this highly insightful, practical book offers the ultimate, all-round guide to realizing the transformative potential of parklets."
Luca Bertolini, Professor of Urban Planning, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
"How Good Are Parklets? casts a nuanced and thorough look at the contextual, cultural, and design characteristics that create good parklets. It teaches urban designers, planners and policymakers what works and what doesn’t in parklet design, and how parklets can better create opportunities for street vibrancy, pedestrianism and cycling."
Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, Distinguished Professor, Luskin School of Public Affairs, UCLA, USA
"Drawing on empirical studies and comparisons of cases across the globe, this book presents a thorough and critical examination of parklets’ profound contribution to city life, urban design, civic engagement, and the transformation of governance and planning practices."
Jeff Hou, Professor, Head of Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore
