Pilot Parklet Program
Program Overview
The first attempt at a parklet was created in San Francisco around 2005 as an unofficial activist project by Rebar art and design studio by feeding a parking meter with coins, unrolling grass sod, and placing a potted tree on top. From this movement PARK(ing) day was born. The first official parklet was built in San Francisco in 2010 as an initiative of the San Francisco Planning Department. On September 20, 2013 the Sacramento chapter of the American Institute of Architects sponsored Sacramento United Parking Day. It was pleasantly received by the public and help drive the momentum for a Pilot Parklet Program here in Sacramento.
The City of Sacramento Parklet Program will facilitate a partnership between the public and the City of Sacramento to repurpose space designed for on-street parking by safely building out a platform into the public right of way. The parklet provides a path for merchants, community organizations, business owners, and residents to take individual actions in the development and beautification of the City’s public realm.
A parklet repurposes part of the street into a public space for people. They are intended as aesthetic enhancements to the streetscape, providing an economical solution to the need for increased public open space. Parklets provide amenities like seating, planting, bike parking, and art. While parklets are funded and maintained by neighboring businesses, residents, and community organizations, they are publicly accessible and open to all.
Parklets should enhance our downtown core by adding additional welcoming destinations and beauty to the City’s right of way. They reflect the diversity and creativity of the people and organizations that sponsor and design them. They also reflect the City’s commitment to encouraging walking and biking, creating great streets, and strengthening our communities.
Parklets can catalyze vitality and activity in the City’s commercial districts. They support local business communities by encouraging pedestrians to linger. Parklets can serve as neighborhood anchors and destination points—providing spaces for neighbors to gather and get to know one another. Collectively, parklets broaden the potential for the public realm to engage and delight while adding much needed open space to our commercial corridors.
By sponsoring and creating a parklet you are participating in an international movement that celebrates local grass roots initiative, community building, and sustainable transportation. When completed, your parklet will be enjoyed by countless residents of Sacramento and visitors to your neighborhood and our city.
City of Sacramento values and appreciates your willingness to devote your time, creativity, and resources to sponsor and create a parklet. We look forward to collaborating with you on your parklet.
The picture below is an example of a parklet in San Francisco.
More information about Parklets:
Parklet Manual
Parklet Application and Forms
Council/Commission Action
Media Attention