How to make a parklet

This former parking space is now used to grow plants.

A parklet is an old parking space that has been transformed into something for people to enjoy. There’s no such thing as a typical parklet; they can take many forms. They are great for bringing communities together, and providing some much-needed local green space.

So! How do you get a parklet on your street?

Identify a location with your local community

Firstly, with the support of your local community, you’ll need to find a place to put a parklet. Parklet positioning is essential so it can safely and assuredly serve the community as well as give everyone an enjoyable slice of green, communal space in their street. Assess your local area’s access to public green space (map here) and discuss with neighbours what everyone’s wishes and requirements are - some neighbours might not have access to a private garden and want the parklet close to them or could have accessibility requirements.

Get funding

This step goes hand in hand with the next so you might want to do both at the same time. After identifying a spot you're going to need funding to make sure you can design your parklet, buy materials, build it and pay for any associated administration, insurance and maintenance costs. You could try coming together as a community to fund it yourself, put it out to crowdfunding or even apply to various funding schemes run by the likes of the National Lottery or even local councils. Some research will do wonders but once you’ve found a scheme, be sure to apply.

Apply to your council

Even if you get funding, you’re not guaranteed a parklet. Permission from your local council is vital and this can be difficult as many councils don’t have processes for parklets yet. You can use this tool to email your councillor and ask them to start building one but you might be the first people, locally, to ask. It could take time to determine the department within your council that would sign-off on a parklet but a good start would be either their transport, highways, or planning departments; or even their team who focus on tackling the climate crisis. The most important thing you’ll need to do though, is to set out a compelling case as to why your parklet is needed, and the level of community support. Emphasise the positives - they’re good for the climate, biodiversity and communities and then be persistent!

Design, source materials and build

You might have some of these skills in your community already but you’ll want some professional assistance here. In design, you’ll need to think about what you want your parklet to do and the community it serves as well as basic structural considerations. Accessibility, amount of greenery, number of seating spaces are essential questions. For materials, locally-sourced, reclaimed wood is an excellent choice for the foundation and overall structure as well as seating. With plantlife, you’ll want hardy, decorative, drought-resistant plants in planters or raised beds with in-built drainage along with peat-free compost and added grit. With materials sourced, designs signed off with your local council and permissions in place, you can then find a contractor to complete your build.

Look after and enjoy your parklet

Congratulations! You have reclaimed some space for your local community and made it greener. Be sure to look after the parklet, keep the plants healthy and replenished, repair as needed, and as a parklet needs to be reflective and responsive to the local community, be open to change if required. Good luck!

**This article originally featured in The Guardian, by Phoebe Weston