Powell St. Parklet
San Francisco's thriving Pavement to Parks initiative—dozens of street parking spaces have been transformed into small, hardscaped parks the city over—arrived on center stage Wednesday. After success outside scruffy Mission District coffee shops and pram-litered Noe Valley, some of the most iconic blocks of San Francisco are newly widened with torqued aluminum raling, drought-tolerant plants, and enough space for pedestrian-choked Powell Street to breathe. The cash came from Audi (more on that to follow) and the design from landscape architect Walter Hood. I walked the eight new parklets with Hood and metal fabricator Scott Atthowe when they were unveiled. Here's what I saw.
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Toronto please take note!
Houston.... please take note!
Honolulu, please take note!!!!
In a city notorious for a lack of parking, are they compensating for the parking spots by providing better parking elsewhere? I love the look and the gardens, but last time we went to The City the lack of parking forced us to give up on visiting some neighborhoods. How do they make up for the parking spot's lost?
Trey, These blocks of Powell St. are largely used for loading and unloading (those zones have been preserved) and are a real mess to drive/park on anyway. Considering how well public transit serves this particular part of San Francisco, it doesn't come as a very big loss. But you're right, parking downtown is a nightmare and the city does lose a couple spots. The gamble is that the parklets will so enliven streetlife that no one notices the handful of lost parking spots. Aaron
Trey, try taking transit next time and bringing or renting a bike. Much more relaxing, and you tale up 1/12 the space.
@Trey: I think the positives of taking up these spots far outweigh the negatives. When NYC closed off all of Broadway to pedestrians in Times Square it just made sense. In SF, the second most dense city in the US, you shouldn't be getting to the city by car anyway. I, for one, am happy that people don't want to visit the city anymore because of lack of parking spaces. Either you have to get used to it or take public transportation because I don't see the city of San Francisco make more room for cars. As the years go on, I'm sure this city will become more and more dense and the private automobile will diminish in importance.
Philly's 1st parklet, thanks SF! http://andydinhphotographyblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/first-parklet-in-philadelphia-at-43rd.html
Brazil, please take note!!!!
Unfortunately, two of these parklets will be closed for street cleaning on Tuesdays and Thursdays; three of them closed due to street cleaning on Wednesdays; three others closed due to street cleaning on Fridays.
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