Meaningful action you can take this World Car Free Day

Today is World Car Free Day and to celebrate we’re spreading the word about parklets. Parklets help us imagine what our cities could look like if we started prioritising people and the planet over private cars.

But what is a parklet?

Essentially, a parklet is an old parking space that has been transformed into a space for people to enjoy. 

Parklets give space back to people and nature, and are co-designed and maintained by residents to suit the unique needs of the local community.  Whether the space is used for rest, play, storing bicycles, or growing fruit and veg, parklets are an opportunity for communities to take ownership of their streets. 

Here are a few examples of parklets that we love, including one we set up yesterday outside Little Ealing Primary School:

They sound great, right? Here’s how you can bring parklets to your community:

Write to your council

By creating parklets, local councils have the power to make roads cleaner, greener and safer for residents. But many councils don’t realise that this can be done - there are only a couple of councils in the whole of the UK who have a proper process for introducing parklets (and they’re both in London!). We want to encourage councils across the country to follow Hackney’s lead. As a resident, you have influence over your local council. 

We’ve launched an interactive map which makes it really easy to encourage your local councilors to introduce parklets in your neighbourhood.

Is there somewhere in your community that has too much traffic? 

Or a spot on your street which could do with a bit more green space? 

Simply select your ideal parklet  location on the map, type in your email and postcode, and straight away a tailored email for your local councillor will appear with information about how they can make your vision a reality.  You can feel free to personalise the email, or simply hit ‘send’. 

If you have any questions about using our map or our work on parklets, please don’t hesitate to ask - email us at hello@wearepossible.org.