Create a parklet!

Another way of ‘greening’ your town centre is to create a ‘parklet’: a small pavement extension, usually covering one or two car parking spaces, creating a miniature green open space in a dense urban environment. Parklets provide space for people to sit, relax and enjoy the area around them – and show how streets could be if we designed them differently. Their popularity in the UK has increased since they were first introduced in Hackney in 2015.

Glasgow and Aberdeen have each pioneered their use in city centres: why not create one in your town centre?

To get started, check out these free online toolkits which are full of inspiring examples and tips:

• Parklets: Your Guide to Creating a Pop-up Park on Your Street – from Living Streets Scotland.
• Reclaiming the Right of Way: A Toolkit for Creating and Implementing Parklets – from UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, USA.
• Complete Guide to Parklets and Streeteries – from Parkade, USA.