Parklets coming to downtown

Look for a movable park popping up every two weeks in downtown San Diego next year.

And if the "parklet" idea catches on, other neighborhoods may get a bit more open space, as well.

The downside? The loss of two parking spaces where the new parks would go.

The Downtown San Diego Partnership business group won the endorsement last week of the idea from Civic San Diego, the city's development arm.

"I like the idea of trying to have moving parks," said director Theodor Shaw.

The parklet design includes places to sit and work and would be handicap accessible. This version is meant as a prototype that can be moved from place to place to test the best locations and reaction from nearby businesses and users. — Downtown San Diego Partnership

( / Downtown San Diego Partnership)

The idea, part of the partnership's "tactical urbanism" program to try new planning concepts, debuted at the September national "Park(ing) Day," when cities across the nation turned parking spaces into patches of green in park-short urban centers and neighborhoods.

A group of NewSchool of Architecture and Design graduates won the partnership's contest to design a prototype parklet that could be moved from block to block. They called it the "Board Room" and later tweaks were made to satisfy city transportation planners. The project cost, covered by the partnership, is pegged at about $5,000, not counting the labor costs, also borne by the partnership, to move and monitor the parklet.

Jennifer Davies, the partnership's vice president for external affairs, said she will work with downtown business improvement districts and individual businesses to pick about 24 spots in the downtown area where the parklet can be erected. Local college students may be enlisted to survey the reaction from users and businesses and determine where permanent parklets could be installed.

The first location has not been named or scheduled, but one idea is to put it at Civic Center Plaza, opposite the Civic Theater on Third Avenue.

The prototype is about 6 feet wide and 30 feet long, enough to cover two parking spaces. It includes benches and side tables where users can have picnics or work. It's designed for disabled access as well.

"We see it as a value to neighborhoods and hope they will too, but we will find out if it works," Davies told the CivicSD board.

Some cities, such as Los Angeles, have already embraced the parklet idea and streamlined regulations and a established a low-cost fee schedule to speed the construction of more installations.

In San Diego there already is a permanent parklet outside Caffe Calabria in North Park and a second one is planned outside the Super Comida restaurant in City Heights.

While some businesses cherish parking spaces for use by their patrons, parklet advocates say turning some spaces into gathering places creates popular hangouts for nearby workers and residents and boosts business. The concept is especially welcomed in park-short urban centers.

"This is really a great and exciting tactical urbanism opportunity and I appreciate your bringing us into the fold on this," said board chairwoman Cynthia Morgan.

The board informally approved the partnership's plan and recommended that at it notify local businesses in the affected blocks that a parklet is coming, but that the businesses not have veto power over the location.

Gary Smith, the chairman of the city's parking advisory board, told the CivicSD board that the downtown partnership's effort will help determine where parklets should be allowed and what rules, fees and regulations to apply. He said the experiment could enable other neighborhoods to campaign for their own parklets.