Occupied Ground: Parklets in Former Street Parking Coming to Los Angeles

The parklet movement is growing and Los Angeles is finally getting into the game. Not to be outdone by its neighbor to the north, the Southern California metropolis will soon join San Francisco as host to these pint-sized public spaces in an effort to cultivate a more pedestrian-friendly streetscape.

The Los Angeles City Council has approved plans for a six-month pilot program that will temporarily commandeer parking spaces at four locations in order to create small, public spaces for benches, bike racks, and greenery.

Dozens of parklets are already sprinkled throughout San Francisco as part of the city's Pavement to Parks project. The movement to reshape policy around how cities manage and create public space has gained traction since the birth of (PARK)ing Day, an annual seizure of asphalt for the public commons which began in the City by the Bay.

The pilot parklets were approved for locations on Spring Street downtown, Huntington Drive in El Sereno, and York Boulevard in Highland Park. If the program proves successful, city leaders hope to see more parklets added.

Image (cc) Flickr user mark.hogan