East Nashville debuts city's first 'parklet': What is it and are more coming?
A new park debuted on Sunday Outside the Wilburn Street Tavern in East Nashville.
The park however, doesn't feature slides or a swing set. It's the city's first ever permanent 'parklet.' The parklet was unveiled on Parking Day, a global celebration which advocates for the need for more public spaces in urban areas.
For a decade, the Civic Design Center, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit has celebrated Parking Day with temporary parklets. The permits were available temporarily as a pilot program under many different iterations over the years, first as a dumpster permit through Public Works and then through a Sidewalk Cafe Permit, said Civic Design Center Communications and Advocacy Manager, Veronica Foster.
"Parklets are neither dumpsters or sidewalk cafes, of course, they are unique!" said Foster. "After realizing that people enjoy spending time outdoors for more than just being socially distanced, Councilmember Sean Parker worked on creating permanent legislation that would permit both sidewalk cafes and parklets."
The legislation was officially signed into law in 2022. The Nashville Department of Transportation then worked to create a parklet permit process and manual to make it easier for applicants to coordinate with just one department, said Foster.
Together with Wilbur Street Tavern, the Civic Design Center launched a competition to design the outdoor space. The requirements included lighting, shade treatment, built in seating, and to be platform level.
As a way to encourage businesses and local organizations to apply for the parklet permit, the Civic Design Center together with NDOT used Parking Day as an opportunity to showcase how effective and beneficial the mini parks can be for communities.
Wilburn Street Tavern, Parker's local bar, was chosen as the site to pay homage to his dedication behind the legislation. Additionally, owner Teresa Mason already knew the benefits of a parklet. With the bar's COVID-19 permit coming to a close, they would soon have to apply for a new one. The building of the parklet both facilitated the permit renewal and showcased local designers.
A committee of ten people chose the winning design from Barge Design Solutions.
While the structure serves as an outdoor patio for the business, it is also a seating area for pedestrians before the bar's opening at 4 p.m.
What is a parklet?
A parklet is an extension of the sidewalk, built on parking spaces, created as a public amenity for pedestrians.
According to the National Association of City Transportation Officials, the parklets feature distinctive designs which incorporate greenery and bike racks to accommodate the unmet demand for more public spaces in thriving neighborhood retail or commercial areas.
The very first parklet was installed in San Francisco in 2005 by design studio Rebar. It consisted of potted tree and a single bench on a small plot of turf. Since proving successful, parklets have spread to cities all across the world.
The structures became increasingly popular during the COVID-19 pandemic as business owners tried to find ways to stay afloat amidst shutdowns and capacity regulations. Outdoor seating allowed the restaurant and service industry to continue operating.
Are more parklets coming to Nashville?
Now with the permit launched, any business with street parking can apply to build a parklet. After applying via NDOT's website, applicants may reach out to the Civic Design Center for a basic rendering which they can take to a contractor.
Foster said the Civic Design Center will always offer support for applicants who may not be sure what kind of design they're looking for.
"The parklet design competition shows Nashville that parklets can be an example of great design in our city, so we hope organizations with bigger budgets actually reach out to designers to create something unique for their parklet," said Foster. "In terms of future Parking Days, we hope to support at least one business per year that is interested and willing to host a parklet, but may not have the budget to go through the process alone."
Diana Leyva covers breaking and trending news for The Tennessean. Contact her at Dleyva@gannett.com or follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @_leyvadiana
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What is a parklet? Nashville's first opens in East Nashville street
