Pilot Program for "Parklets" in Berkeley Approved

A three-year pilot program approved by the Berkeley City Council this month could bring up to 10 new "parklets" to the commercial districts of Berkeley. 

Parklets are installed in parking spaces as temporary public spaces dedicated to the "enjoyment and use of all citizens," according to the staff report submitted to the council by Eric Angstadt, Director of Planning and Development. 

The council gave the program the green light on July 2 on the recommendation of the city's Transportation Commission. The council last year approved a limited parklets pilot project for the North Shattuck area. The project has been under study by members of the North Shattuck Association, a group of area merchants, but no parklets have been built yet. 

As an extension of the sidewalk, parklets can be used as green space, additional seating, or bicycle racks in areas with pedestrian activity and retail patrons. They are to be built in place of parking spaces or unused bus stops. 

Parklets have been discussed in Berkeley as one of the ways to revitalize business on Telegraph Avenue. A proposal presented to the City Council in April by Mayor Tom Bates and Councilman Kriss Worthington offered background about parklets:

"Parklets were first installed in the City of San Francisco in 2011 and now total 38. A parklet pilot program was adopted by the City of Oakland in 2011 and currently has two parklets, with three scheduled to be installed. Parklets are privately installed and maintained in the Cities of Oakland and San Francisco. While they are funded and maintained by neighboring businesses, residents, and community organizations, they are publicly accessible. The City of Berkeley also adopted a limited pilot for the North Shattuck area in 2012.

The San Francisco parklet program describes the purpose of parklets as the following: “A parklet repurposes part of the street into a space for people. Parklets are intended as aesthetic enhancements to the streetscape, providing an economical solution to the need for increased public open space. They provide amenities like seating, planting, bike parking, and art.”

These parklets will not be constructed by the City but "would be paid for by private businesses or organizations," wrote Pamela Embry from the Office of the City Manager. 

There are concerns about reductions in parking revenues, but the Berkeley Transportation Commission recommended that "parklet applicants work with staff to explore all potential means of revenue replacement."