Parklets of San Francisco

[Metro Jacksonville]

Parklets of San Francisco



San Francisco-born urban planning tool offers inexpensive model to promote vibrant pedestrian environments and support local businesses in downtown Jacksonville.



Read More: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2015-apr-parklets-of-san-francisco

[hiddentrack]

I saw a couple of these last time I was out in SF. It's a great use of space.

[simms3]

I live across from a parklet.  Are the first few pictures even of SF, or are they East Bay or Peninsula?

[johnnyliar]

These are awesome!

The now officially branded "Elbow" district downtown has been searching for ways to make their area much more pedestrian friendly. Is there any chance of making a few of these happen around there? Businesses already spill out into the sidewalk like in front of underbelly, chomp chomp, etc., but having them take over a parking spot would help to slow the speed of traffic and make it a way more walkable area!

[thelakelander]

Yes, parklets are pretty cool and would be great for streets like Adams, where the sidewalk width is limited. Here's another I noticed in Seattle last week:

[simms3]

I live across from a parklet.  Are the first few pictures even of SF, or are they East Bay or Peninsula?

I called it - the first 3 photos and the article main photo are from Berkeley!

I've identified where the other SF ones are too - all on Valencia St in the Mission except for one in SOMA. 

I like this description of another one on Valencia St in the Mission from the Curbed article.

This is San Francisco's only residential parklet and is hosted by private resident Amandeep Jawa. It is known as Deepistan National Parklet and its most famous resident is a hedge succulent sculpture of a triceratops. Designed by Shift Design Studio, the minipark has hosted everything from Shakespeare in the Parklet to election viewing parties to the owner's wedding. Installed June 2011. [Photo by Dylan Pilaar]

http://sf.curbed.com/archives/2015/02/27/mapping_all_51_awesome_san_francisco_public_parklets.php

[Know Growth]

In San Francisco,every square foot is Cherished.

[simms3]

^^^Understatement.  The only city more "crowded" in my opinion in the US/Canada (and by a long shot) is New York, primarily Brooklyn/Manhattan.  Ironically, the part of SF that is about as crowded as Manhattan has no parklets (I think it's just *too* crowded to take away from the streets in that part of town...plus all the honking and sidewalk traffic is a bit intense; I'm sure situation is similar in much of Manhattan).  And as a result, I don't believe parklets have quite caught on there [in New York] like they have here in SF/Oakland/Berkeley.  Cities like Philadelphia, Boston, Seattle as noted, and Chicago would be ripe for parklets.

[fieldafm]

I live across from a parklet.  Are the first few pictures even of SF, or are they East Bay or Peninsula?

The article mentions that the photos were of parklets in the San Francisco 'area'. The first three pictures are of a parklet adjacent to Cheese Board in Berkeley. The rest are in Mission and SOMA. The picnic bench looking example one is a two block walk from the SOMA StrEat Food Park. There are two other parklets along that same block, I used the picnic bench example as it wasn't as intricate (IE less expensive to build) than the other two. The parklet with the bike rack system (which is outside Four Barrel Coffee) is pretty intense. I included it because it integrated the bike parking in a very visual way. Most parklets just have a smaller bike rack adjacent. I tried posting pictures of parklets that were a little more basic. Some of the ones along Valencia Street can get pretty crazy.


The point was more to get people to think about what could be possible to quickly transform a downtown street into a more walkable destination. Do parklets make sense everywhere in Jax? Not at all. But they would make sense along Adams Street which has the physical bones to be a model for downtown Jax with a few accomodations for outdoor dining and a coordinated effort to fill empty spaces in both conventional and non-conventional ways.

[simms3]

Nice overlay.  Thought it was a real picture of somewhere.

[I-10east]

Jax Daily Record: Turning parking spots into parklets

Dancing, dining and drinking. That’s how to promote Downtown.
At least it will be March 19 during Downtown’s Gala: Urban Oasis.

The event at the Jacksonville Bank Building at 100 N. Laura St. will be Downtown Vision Inc.’s first fundraising gala since the nonprofit urban core advocacy group was established by City Council in 2000.

“We need an opportunity to celebrate Downtown and the people who support Downtown,” said Jake Gordon, CEO of the organization.

In addition to cocktails, dinner and a live band, the evening’s agenda includes live and silent auctions and awards to recognize people, companies and organizations that have supported Downtown programs.

“A lot of people are very passionate about Downtown. The goal is to get everyone together — those who are passionate and those who should be,” Gordon said.

Another goal is to raise funds for a demonstration project to construct a “parklet” along a busy Downtown street. The idea is to convert a parking space or two near a restaurant, for example, into an attraction for pedestrians.

Katherine Hardwick, DVI director of marketing, said the inspiration came from San Francisco, where parking spaces were first converted in 2010. The city now has more than 50 of the small urban parks, installed by merchants, neighborhood groups, nonprofits and other organizations.

San Francisco’s Pavement to Parks Program helps people who want to build the small public spaces work with agencies such as planning, public works and mass transit for design approval and permitting.

The parks provide amenities such as seating, plants, bicycle parking and art, according to a report published by the program.

“Parklets reflect the diversity and creativity of the people and organizations who sponsor and design them,” the report said.

They are funded and maintained by the private sector but are open to the public, according to the report.

“They put the emphasis on walkability,” Hardwick said. “It’s a fair balance between vehicle and pedestrian traffic.”

Gordon said DVI is seeking a consultant to develop a “how-to manual” for the local effort.

That part of the plan is funded by a $15,000 grant from Urban Land Institute North Florida, matched by DVI.

The manual will combine best practices developed in San Francisco and other cities that have similar programs with information on navigating the process through design concept and review, local regulations and insurance requirements.

Gordon said the first Downtown parklet should be open by December 2016.

“We’re reclaiming the streets to create more public space and we want to get it right,” he said.

http://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/showstory.php?Story_id=546643

[mtraininjax]

I never knew Eddie and chuck Farah owned 100 N Laura Street.