A toolkit for local authorities in England and Wales that are looking to develop a community parklet policy or establish parklets in their area.

This information was created by Possible, in collaboration with Lambeth, Hackney and Waltham Forest Councils and the Parklets Campaign. 

Possible is a UK charity on a mission to speed up climate action. We work in partnership with communities to design and build their own parklets, campaign to make it easier for communities to create parklets, and spread the word to residents and councils about the benefits this can have. 

The Parklets Campaign, established in 2020, is a group of like-minded volunteers who want to help make London the parklet capital of the world. Their mission is to make it as easy to create a parklet on residential streets as it is to apply for a parking permit.

Parklets are former parking spaces that have been transformed into areas for people to enjoy. There is no such thing as a typical community parklet – they are unique to every neighbourhood. They can offer local people a ‘third place’, outside of work and the home, where they can come together and spend time without spending money. 

By providing seating, shade, and greenery, parklets can improve access to nature and public space, and enable people to spend time together outdoors – something which is lacking in densely populated urban areas. Community parklets can also create shared projects and collective endeavours which help to build community cohesion and trust.

The Covid pandemic really demonstrated the social value of parklets as they provided outdoor space where communities could safely (and legally) enjoy interaction with their neighbours. The pandemic played a significant role in most of the parklets included as case studies in this toolkit. Parklets continue to be very valuable in building social capital and providing a space for connecting with neighbours, especially with the ongoing trend for more home based remote working and increased social isolation.

The first ever parklet was launched in San Francisco in 2005. This sparked an international movement of people setting up temporary parklets in their communities.

The UK’s first official parklet was built by Hackney Council in 2015.  Inspired by the parklets of San Francisco, it was created in collaboration with Sustrans and Cyclehoop. The parklet occupied a redundant loading bay and consisted of bike stands, benches, planters and solar powered lighting. It proved to be popular amongst the walkers and cyclists of Hackney, providing a place to relax and chat with friends.

From 2017 onwards, parklets began popping up in towns and cities across the UK. Many were installed by councils or businesses outside cafes and restaurants, especially during the “social distancing” of the Covid pandemic.

Hackney Council was the first local authority to introduce a community parklet process in 2019, two years after Hackney resident Brenda Puech started a campaign for a community parklet policy (including creating her own unofficial parklet, which was later removed). Community parklets in residential areas of Hackney were not permitted until late 2019. 

Three more councils in London - Waltham Forest, Lambeth and Hounslow - subsequently launched community parklet policies during 2022 and 2023. 

Community parklets are not currently permitted by any local authorities outside of London, although some councils have installed their own temporary or permanent council-led parklets as part of street improvement programmes.

Community parklets

Parklets installed in on-street parking bays. These are often located outside of a residential property. They can also be located outside community venues, schools, or on housing estates. Community parklets sometimes provide seating which is located on the public highway. By law, this is public seating and should remain accessible to the public at all times.

Council-led parklets

Parklets which are funded, designed and installed by local authorities, for example on high streets. These may be maintained by the local authority, or by a nominated business located next to the parklet, under an agreement with the local authority. These are free for all to use without the requirement of buying anything.

Commercial or business parklets

Parklets that include a commercial element, like having food and drink served to them from a local business. This generally requires a licensing fee. Commercial parklets increase seating for businesses and can help to make streets more lively and sociable.

Parklets have been introduced in different ways. A number of local authorities have installed their own parklets on high streets to make the environment more welcoming by increasing public seating and greenery. 

Several councils have commissioned the design and installation of parklets that they are responsible for, as part of their aims to improve the public realm, increase biodiversity, encourage active travel, and reduce parking. 

Some London boroughs have also introduced community parklet and/or business parklet policies, enabling residents and businesses to apply for permission to create parklets outside their properties. 

In general, parklets work best when they are a collaboration between councils and local communities.

1. A council creates a parklets policy committing to repurposing car storage spaces for broader community use. To date, four local authorities in London have implemented a clear application process whereby residents and/or businesses can apply to create parklets in their local area.

2. Some councils allow residents to apply for a parklet in a particular location, but then the council funds, instals, insures and maintains the parklet. For example, in Islington this is done through the Islington Greener Together fund. 

3. Local residents or businesses create an initial proposal for the kind of parklet they want to create, and how it will be designed, funded and maintained. This usually includes evidence of support from neighbours and local stakeholders.

4. Transport planners from the council’s Highways Team consider the parklet proposal, and conduct a road safety audit to check the proposed site. If the site is approved, the applicants submit a stage two proposal with a more detailed design. The transport planners at any given council will issue design guidance for parklet applicants. 

5. The relevant council team then implements a Traffic Management Order (either Experimental or Permanent) after carrying out a consultation and responding to any objections. A Notice of Making is then published. 

6. The council issues a Parklet Keeper agreement with a named resident, business owner or community member who will be responsible for the upkeep of the parklet - e.g. removing litter, watering plants, putting seating away at night. 

7. The parklet is installed, insured and maintained by the parklet keepers, or by the local authority’s sustainable transport team, depending on the specific policy of that local authority. 

8. Parklets will often be installed for a trial 6, 12 or 18 month period under an Experimental Traffic Order, with the potential to make them permanent after gathering feedback from local stakeholders.

   A different approach, favoured by Lambeth Council and more recently Hackney Council, is for the local authority to take responsibility for providing, funding, installing and insuring community parklets. Residents and communities are able to request one of these parklets and, if successful, they take responsibility for the upkeep.

When considering a parklet location, communities and councils should take the following things into account:

• Safety: Don’t propose sites on single or double yellow lines. Try to choose a site that is away from junctions, and one where there isn’t a large volume of traffic on the road. Locate the parklet near a source of independent lighting to increase visibility, especially at night.

• Oversight: Aim to choose a location that is within sight of the person or group who will be managing the parklet.

• Parking stress: Parklets may be more popular with the community if the area already has more parking spaces than are needed.

• Access to water supply: Consider how you will undertake regular watering of the planters. 

Parklet designs can vary a lot depending on community preferences, budget and location. Those planning a parklet should speak to neighbours and local stakeholders to learn what they want from it, and what activities might take place in it.

For example, they might want somewhere to park a cargo bike, or space to grow herbs and flowers - or they might want more of a community social space with seating, a noticeboard and a library. They might want to design a large-scale public artwork, or plant a vegetable garden that fills the whole space. Involving as many local stakeholders as possible in the design will increase the community ownership of the parklet.

Resource: Possible’s parklet design kit can help communities think about what their ideal parklet might include.

If you’re planning to create a parklet, speak to as many people as possible who live near the proposed site and don’t forget to include those on the opposite side of the street. Include schools, businesses, and shops. Tell them what you are planning and perhaps have a rough drawing to show. Be clear about who will manage the parklet when it’s created.

If people are supportive, you can ask them to sign a letter of support to share with the council. The more support you get, the greater the chance of your proposal going forward.

A road safety audit is a requirement for parklet proposals. It will identify any potential road safety issues or problems relating to your parklet design that could affect local people.

Any road safety audit process will involve a visit by a road safety auditor. It might also involve other people, such as the Police or a Council officer, coming along to review your proposal.

An audit will take into consideration:

• road layout and markings

• position of signs

• lighting provision

• construction and dimensions of the parklet

Before making changes to a highway, a council must conduct a Traffic Management Order or Traffic Regulation Order, which is a legal change to carriageway use - usually from a parking bay to a “no waiting at any time” restriction. This includes a public consultation period. Here’s an example of a Traffic Management Order for parklets from Waltham Forest.

The local authority is legally required to:

• Publish notices of Traffic Management Orders in local newspapers (and they will usually put up notices in the area affected).

• Consult the police, fire brigade, ambulance service, and organisations representing road users.

• Make a copy of the order and other relevant documents available for public inspection.

The authority may also consult with residents and businesses in the roads affected before starting the process of making the traffic order.

You can read more about different types of Traffic Management Orders - both experimental and permanent - and how they work on Lambeth Council’s website.

Advice for successful traffic management orders

The main barrier to a successful Traffic Management Order is a lack of public support. Build as much support for the proposal as you can in advance of the Order.

If you can, organise a street party, play street, or even a pop-up parklet for a few hours, to demonstrate how a parklet could look and feel. These taster events can give residents first hand experience of the benefits of a parklet, and it’s an ideal opportunity to get feedback on the idea. 

Obviously, a pop-up parklet will require a parking suspension, so the application process for this in your area should be made clear.

Some parklets such as Alvington Crescent Parklet in Hackney and Cressida Rd Parklet in Islington were borne out of community associations that formed after street parties. 

Park(ing) Day, the USA based international initiative which grew out of the original parklets movement, takes place every year in late September, around the same time as World Car Free Day. This would be a great time for any local authority to promote its community parklet policy, by encouraging communities and residents to organise pop-up parklets. Park(ing) Day has an excellent manual for organising a pop-up parklet and many other useful resources.

Resource: Park(ing) Day Pop-Up Parklet Manual

Holding a launch event for local people is a good way to celebrate the installation of your parklet and get feedback. You could also invite your local councillor, MP or a local celebrity to officially open the parklet.

Press and social media are great ways to spread the word. Why not invite local journalists and newspapers and promote the event on neighbourhood social media groups? If a parklet is clearly seen to be popular, it may increase your chances of a permanent traffic order being granted eventually. 

You can also add your parklet to online mapping services like Google Maps to let people know that it’s there. Google offers instructions on how to do this. Consider also adding it to OpenStreetMap.

Resource: Example press release for a new parklet

Depending on the policy of your local council, parklet maintenance may be the responsibility of a ‘parklet keeper’ or ‘keepers’, who sign an agreement with the council before the installation date.

Where the parklet structure has been provided and installed by the council, it may take responsibility for maintaining the parklet (i.e. repairs) but the parklet keeper may be responsible for upkeep (watering plants and removing litter).

Resource: Hackney Council parklet keeper agreement

To encourage more communities to create parklets, every council should have a parklets policy: a document setting out the local authority’s commitment to repurpose parking spaces for wider community use. 

Developing a council parklets policy

A gold-standard parklets policy should include:

• Clear details of the application process in plain English, including who is eligible to apply (i.e. residents, businesses, community groups).

• A simple form to express interest in creating a parklet as a first step.

• Clarity on whether the council or the applicant is responsible for designing, building, installing and insuring the parklet.

• A commitment that, once a parklet reaches the end of its lifespan, the space will be converted to some other sustainable use.

• A small grants scheme, if the council is not providing the parklet structure.

• Design guidance, if a co-design approach is being used 

OR

• Details of what parklet structure the council can provide.

Kerbsides are often viewed just as spaces for cars to park, but they can have a huge number of other uses. By implementing a kerbside strategy that commits to reclaiming space from parking for more sustainable uses, local authorities can transform streets to be fairer and more equitable.  Possible is calling on all councils to follow the lead of Lambeth Council and commit to allocating or reallocating at least 25% of their kerbside for sustainable uses. That includes:

• Promoting accessible and active travel, by moving obstacles like trees and bike parking from the pavement to the kerbside

• Creating community spaces like parklets, community gardens and seating

• Increasing resilience to climate impacts like flooding and extreme heat, by scaling up tree planting and sustainable drainage systems

• Reducing traffic emissions through electric vehicle charging points and parking for shared vehicles like e-bikes

Lambeth Council’s Kerbside Strategy

In January 2023, Lambeth Council in London was the first local authority in the UK to adopt a pioneering new Kerbside Strategy. It set out Lambeth’s plans to transform 25% of kerbside space into sustainable uses, including places for people, and not just cars.

In Lambeth, 94% of the kerbside is used to manage parking, but only 40% of households own a car. The strategy commits to dedicating at least a quarter of that space to sustainable uses like bike parking, tree-planting and community spaces. And it sets out three basic principles for storing vehicles on the kerbside:

• If your vehicle produces more greenhouse gases, you should pay more

• If your vehicle produces more exhaust or non-exhaust pollutants, you should pay more

• If your vehicle takes up more space and increases congestion, you should pay more

The full strategy is available here, and a mobile-friendly summary is available here.

Cars dominate our public space. Streets make up 80% of London’s public spaces. Even in inner cities where most people do not own cars, almost all of our kerbside prioritises cars over the needs of people. 

Research shows that the availability, accessibility and cost of parking has a more significant impact on car ownership rates than costs like insurance and fuel. Parking policy is therefore key to combating the climate crisis, improving air quality, promoting active, shared, and sustainable travel, making transport more accessible, and delivering safe and attractive streets.

Parking policy sits firmly within the control of local authorities, so it can be used to enact big change at a local level.

Take action on parking in your area: Possible’s Parking Action Plan tool is designed to help people to assess their local parking policies, and produce a Parking Action Plan which can be used to advocate for taking space away from cars and giving it back to people and nature.

Resource: See how your borough’s parking policies score

At Possible, we want to see more local authorities utilising parklets to increase biodiversity, re-green the streets, and reclaim space from cars - particularly by enabling communities to choose to have parklets on their own streets. 

Strategies at a London level, including the London Plan, The London Nature Recovery Plan, and the Mayor’s Transport Strategy all have relevant targets such as decreasing car ownership, increasing biodiversity and reducing parking. Parklets are one useful tool in this broader agenda.

However, there are challenges in implementing a community parklet process, and in getting community parklets approved and installed. Design guidance tends to prioritise the needs of drivers, rather than parklet users. Securing funding for a community parklet can be difficult. There may also be an emerging trend towards prioritising the creation of rain gardens and sustainable urban drainage systems over parklets.

So, we want to see all local authorities in London adopting kerbside strategies, with commitments to allocating at least 25% of kerbside to sustainable uses (including parklets). Centre for London’s excellent 2020 Report Reclaim the kerb: The future of parking and kerbside management makes a compelling case for repurposing our kerbside to transform it into valuable public space. The report presents a menu of interventions to help local authorities to achieve this.