Forum topic: Popping up in PG: a Parklet

A group of Palmers Green residents who want to make the high street greener and attract more shoppers will be creating a "pop-up parklet" in Green Lanes on Sunday 15th September.

The Green Lanes end of Devonshire Road will be blocked off to cars between 2pm and 5pm, coinciding with Devonshire Road's monthly Play Street, when the road is closed to through traffic so that kids can play in the roadway while their parents take the opportunity to meet and chat to neighbours undisturbed by the noise and danger from passing cars.

The flyer that the parklet organisers will be distributing ahead of the event. The illustration is of a pocket park in south London, showing how seating and greenery can transform a street

The organisers of the parklet will fill the space between Le Grand Jour and Stitch! with greenery, seats and tables and invite passers-by to stop by, sit and relax for a while.

The Parklets movement

The Parklets movement has been gathering strength since Brenda Puech, chair of Hackney Living Streets, took the bold step of converting a parking space in her street into a mini-park.

When Brenda created the parklet, the local council asked her to remove it. However, Brenda ensured the parklet received widespread attention on social media and in the news. Brenda launched a petition calling for the parklet to remain; it received over 1,000 signatures, helping the council to recognise the popularity of the idea and how it could support its own policies. 

As a result, the council has now launched a trial that allows Hackney residents to turn kerbside parking spaces into parklets, with other London boroughs looking at their own schemes.