Parklets

As part of the Journeys and Places programme Enfield Council intends to roll out parklet initiatives across the Borough, subject to funding.

Parklets create an attractive environment for walking, and work towards achieving the targets in Transport for London's Walking Action Plan. This plan will contribute to the outer London vision as set out in the Mayor's Transport Strategy by reducing the impact of traffic and making local streets better places to walk and spend time. We will be focusing on those locations with the greatest potential, and working to tackle the barriers to walking.

What is a parklet?

A parklet is an approach to developing a pop-up community space within a street usually in a parking bay and is open to everyone.

Parklets convert parking spaces into vibrant community spaces with distinctive design that can incorporate seating, greenery, bike racks and other attractive features such as games or public information boards.

A parklet in a neighbourhood street or town centre provides a space for people to stop and rest while visiting an area, somewhere to have lunch or meet a neighbour, or can be combined with plants or trees for shade and to make the space more inviting to spend time.

Parklets first came to the UK in 2015 with over 80 being used in public spaces in towns and city centres up and down the country.

The aims of a parklet are:

• Promoting access to walking and cycling
• Activating local retail areas by engaging the local community
• Supporting local economic growth
• Creating new and vibrant public spaces providing local amenities
• A place of interest, activity and education.

The benefits of a parklet for local businesses

Providing seating in more frequent locations assists people who may rely on more resting points on residential streets, helping them to stay mobile and travel further by foot. Parklets are a focal point along a walking route, providing a point of interest and interaction, a place for young people to play, a place for social interaction, and a rest point or shelter from the weather.

Parklets offer an excellent opportunity to provide greening and community infrastructure at locations where traditional seating may not have been a possibility.

Case study

Recently in Hammersmith, one of the Business Improvement Districts collaborated with the council to install several parklets in their area. The outcomes of their scheme for the local businesses were:

• Boosted trade for local businesses such as coffee shops and restaurants by 30%
• Attracted people to the area and created a seating and social area for customers of cafes and restaurants
• Brought to the forefront the issues of poor air quality in the area. Having the green oasis of the parklets contrasting with the busy traffic of the street has encouraged businesses to take more ownership in bringing tangible solutions to tackle air pollution.

The Chase Side Parklet - Southgate

A location adjacent to cafes and shops on Chase Side in Southgate has been chosen as the location for the Council's first trial parklet. This location was identified in collaboration with the town centre regeneration team and the local community to support businesses in the local area by creating space for people to rest and relax while shopping or dining in the local area.

The trial's aims and future objectives

• Create active streets in Enfield through community driven projects
• Support local businesses and to promote economic growth of our high streets
• Create new innovative inviting spaces for public enjoyment
• Encourage the growth of active travel.

Throughout the trial we will evaluate the performance of the parklet and the setting to establish lessons learnt and inform future design features. We will use a survey to gather feedback from users of the parklet, businesses, and residents in the local area. The outcome of our evaluation will inform the future implementation and roll out of future facilities.

As this will be the Council's first parklet, it is intended as a trial project and we welcome input from users of the parklet and local businesses via the survey below.