A coffee table book I made for my Parklets project.

1. [PARKLETS]
Reclaiming excess roadway for the people
Fabiola Einhorn

2. [Introduction] hard to change, as a break from their [What is a
we are slowly office desks, the Parklet?]
Since the era of the realizing that the problem being that
automobile urban outcomes are not there are not many Building small public
environments have the best for our outdoor areas in spaces in the areas
been dominated by mental and physical their vicinity that feel where pavement
and built for the car. wellbeing. But if we inviting. With the or parking is
We are growing up don’t do anything $522 million budget excessive is part
in a milieu where about it, this mental deficit San Francisco of the Pavement
the sound of horns state will continue is facing for the to Parks program
and motors are to be socially upcoming fiscal year, initiated by Gavin
our lullaby, and the transmitted. it doesn’t seem like Newsome at the
new Volkswagen is a good idea to start beginning of this
number one on the Essentially 25% of any big and costly year. It started as a
birthday wish list. San Francisco is building projects. small idea inspired
The car has become paved streets And this is where by urban design firm
a necessity almost dedicated to mainly the parklets come Rebar’s Park(ing)
independently of cars, which is into the picture, Day project and
where you live, more than the total costing only $7,000 New York cities
because the amount of parks in to $35,000 apiece. developments
environment forces the city . In these towards the same
it to be. We built this increasingly direction. The first
environment. And sedentary times, step was to put out
now it’s extremely people are craving some chairs on the
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3. intersection of
Castro and 17th
Street and see
how the public
reacts to it.
The response was
both impressive and
immediate, which
ultimately led to the
current Castro
Commons parklet.
Each parklet is
intended to be
a temporary
experiment open
to the public, which
can be dismounted
and rearranged at
any time. The space
is constantly being
evaluated for the
potential of being a
permanent public
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4. open space.
It all depends on
how the
community responds
to it – it’s a
people’s project.
Documenting and
highlighting the
reactions towards
the parklets project
therefore becomes
vital for the cities
development, which
is why I chose this
as a topic
to observe.
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5. [Divisadero
Street Parklet]
Two parking spaces
are tuned into this
parklet, providing
well-needed extra
space to the very
narrow sidewalk that
is most of the time
highly trafficked. The
entire space is
movable and built on
a specific decking
product that was
donated to the
city from Bison
Innovative Products.
The deck is
constructed from
sustainably
harvested wood
and contains three
tables, ten chairs,
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6. a bench, three bike
racks, solar powered
lamps and landscape
planters to achieve
a border from the
street. The over
all development
is based on many
donations and
volunteer work,
and was also
constructed in two
days with many
low cost and green
materials.
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7. 06

8. [22nd Street
Parklet]
The parklet at 22nd
and Bartlett Street is
designed by Rebar
Group and is truly an
exceptional space.
Many people where
involved and are
still involved in the
maintenance of the
area. These include
Revolution Café that
is right in front of it,
Escape from New
York Pizza that is
next to it and Lolo
Restaurant further
down on the street.
The elevated surface
is constructed out
of bamboo, an
environmentally
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9. friendly and
renewable resource,
and the landscaping
are low-water
species. The space
has six bike racks
that are nicely
designed, and
several creative
seating areas and
tables. The nice
thing about this
space is that it is an
innovative way of
seeing interaction
design, and
integrates
several uses in one.
The organic curves
do not suggest a
table or seat, so
no connotations
or pre-conceived
notions are made.
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10. This allows the user
to be entirely free.
You also realize how
this construction
makes people come
together. Normal
rules of proximity
seem to not matter,
as long as everybody
can fit and have a
good time.
I passed by one day
and the place was
packed with people,
smoking cigarettes,
drinking
and strangers
speaking to one
another. It felt
really alive.
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11. All kinds of people
hang out here, and
it is quite
cosmopolitan,
according to the
people working at
Revolution Café.
Not only do many
different
nationalities meet
here, it is also an
attempt to achieve
the same vibe that
especially European
countries have at
their many open
plazas. People really
come together
an enjoy life,
the employee tells
me. And this is also
what the pavement
to parks program is
striving towards.
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12. 11

13. [Castro
Commons]
I have through the
course of these
weeks visited three
of what hopefully
will become twelve
parklets here in San
Francisco. The first
one to be made, and
visited, was the
Castro Commons
parklet at 17th and
Castro Street. It
has also recently
become the only
permanent parklet in
the city. This place
was before a large
intersection, and
much of it was not
even used by the
cable cars or cars.
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14. So, a couple of
movable chairs and
tables where placed
there. And soon
enough salvaged
granite curbs and
planters where to be
found strategically
positioned to serve
as a periphery from
the busy street. The
asphalt was also
painted in another
color, all done by
the local design firm
Public Architecture
in two days.
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15. [Conclusion]
My interviews and
observations proved
that the parklets are
not only well needed
from a statistic point
of view, but the
cities effort
to democratize the
public space is a
project lead by the
inhabitants of San
Francisco them-
selves. The objective
to reclaim excess
roadway for the
people has been
met very positively
and successfully.
Not a lot of space
has been used, but it
has been especially
well used.
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16. The parklets have
succeeded in
bringing the
community together,
and serving as a
meeting point for
people in the area.
The parklets are
considered safe,
even though
occasional
“undesirable”
people visit the area.
My conclusion that
this is inevitable and
should not cost the
rest of the citizens a
less pleasant
environment.
Despite the
“undesirables”
sometimes-unruly
behavior they are
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17. considered a natural
part of San
Francisco, and
the people whom
I spoke to do not
expect a park to not
include all habitants
of a city. The idea
of exclusion has
already proven by
history to be very
unsuccessful, as
the “undesirables”
and criminals seek
empty spaces. The
pavement to parks
program is
consequently a step
towards the right
direction - towards a
post-modern urban
planning.
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18. An architectural an area a la Jane
design that is Jacobs. Parklets like
working for the these give the
people, not against opportunity to relax
them. Hopefully in an urban setting,
in the near future to acknowledge
urban environments rather than deny the
will look more like urban culture we
these, and maybe a are all part of.
parklet can
contribute to
gentrification in a
poorly used area
or district. Yes, the
parklets are
unexpected, but this
is exactly what we
need to strive for
mixed-use spaces
where roads, cafés,
accommodation,
offices and nightlife
can all be evenly
distributed through
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