Long Beach Parklet Program Downtown Achievement Awards: Public Space

70% of urban open space is dedicated to cars. But what about open space for people? 70% of urban open space is dedicated to cars. But what about open space for people? National Parking Day was established to call attention to the need for more urban open spaces, to further the debate around how public space is created and allocated, and to improve the overall quality of urban communities. With that the Long Beach Parklet Program came to life, providing a solution to the use of parking spaces, creating urban spaces for the community of Long Beach.

This map represents the close proximity of the four parklets located in the Long Beach, courtesy of the Long Beach Parklet Program. The four parkets are located at Berlin Bistro, At Last Café, Lola’s Mexican Cuisine, and No. 9 Parklets Located in Long Beach

The parklet located at Lola’s Mexican Cuisine is the first of its kind to be built in Southern California. This parklet received a large amount of media exposure, which helped increase sales, and helped pay for the cost of the parklet within four short months. This gateway into the Retro Row Business District, features steel planters and ochre pots that complement the storefront palette. The pots are filled with plant material found in the region where the owners originated from, creating a natural ambience for guests of the restaurant. Very First Parklet: Lola’s Mexican Cuisine

Project Images: Lola’s Mexican Cuisine

The parklet located at Berlin Bistro is the second to be completed in the city of Long Beach. Contemporary in design, the parklet utilizes planters clad with horizontal cedar siding and illuminating pots that relate to the restaurant’s modern interior. Drought tolerant plants border the parklet space, growing herbs and spices, used for meal preparation at the restaurant. Second Parklet: Berlin Bistro

Berlin Bistro Parklet

Outdoor seating where narrow sidewalks exist Quick, easy and affordable to construct Calms traffic speeds Improves pedestrian and cycling comfort Increased value of historic buildings Community and Business Benefits Economical method of seating capacity expansion Job creation Additional revenue for businesses and sales tax for the city Greater retail visibility Enhanced media coverage

Typical parklets displace two curbside parking stalls located in directly infront of the business. While not required by code to be replaced, many times replacement is based on finding additional parking spots within the same block Solutions include: reducing red painted curb lengths, eliminating unused loading zones and shortening bus stop lengths Parklets and Parking Parklet rendering for No. 9 Café in Long Beach

The latest revelation within the parklet program incorporates a public/private partnership component, by distributing financial responsibility between both the business and the city. The photo above is not a parklet, but a bulb-out and bio-swale garden that functions similar to a parklet, located at- At Last Café in Long Beach. For this project 1,500 square feet of road space was repurposed into people space. The bulb-out includes a bio-swale and garden that captures the first inch of rain-fall to filter pollutants and allows water to percolate into the ground. Curb extensions reduce pedestrian crossing distances, minimizing the time a pedestrian is in the street, resulting in enhanced traffic flow. Latest Revelation: At Last Café

As a reflection of the restaurant’s character, building materials consist of reclaimed wood cladding, a fruit and vegetable crate wall mural, a kitchen themed landscape palette and built-in bench seating. The bulb-out provided At Last Café with an additional 52 outdoor seats. This addition doubled the restaurant’s maximum capacity and allowed them to hire on six new staff members. All the positions are held by local residents, who are within walking distance of the café. About At Last Café Bulb-Out/Bio-Swale

Project Images: At Last Café