A council in north-east London is planning to build tiny parks the size of car parking spaces across the district.
The Waltham Forest Council invites local companies to submit their ideas for so-called “parklets” throughout East London.
Parklets, or mini-parks, have been popping up in Waltham Forest and other parts of London for a number of years as part of an initiative to promote green outdoor communal spaces and encourage local small businesses such as cafes and restaurants.
The spaces can be as small as parking lots or islands of refuge for pedestrians that have been repurposed to “improve the urban landscape”.
READ MORE: Woman wants to turn thousands of parking lots into small parks after being hit by a motorcycle
The council says it is currently “developing plans for a resident-led parklet program with an emphasis on low-cost interventions that will be developed and managed by residents and will reveal more ways in which a single car parking space can be rethought.”
Waltham Forest was a leader in rolling parklets in London
(Image: Waltham Forest Council)
The initiative is co-financed by the municipality and local companies, with the municipality being responsible for the construction and maintenance of the rooms.
Local actors are meanwhile responsible for their use and general maintenance.
Cllr Clyde Loakes, vice chairman and cabinet member for the environment, said, “People are so used to parked cars dominating our streets that we may not know how much space they actually take up.
“But instead of using a parking lot for a polluting piece of metal that is idle 95 percent of the time, we could instead use the space for a small garden, seating for a café, or a park for our children to play in.”
“Bit by bit, we’re dismantling an idea that has been prevalent in our culture for 50 years that the car is king, so these parklets will allow locals to regain a little of their parked cars from their surroundings.”
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The residents in the district have mostly responded positively to the few parklets that have already been built.
One person described a parklet that was built on Winchelsea Road as “a wonderful space and a great improvement over the somewhat gloomy view before (usually a look at the side of a van)”.
The owner of a local wine bar also said the parklet “is loved by everyone” and added, “Our little corner of Waltham Forest is all the better for it”.
But not all residents are enthusiastic about the tiny green spaces.
However, some expressed shock at the cost of building the parklet on Winchelsea Road and another on Coppermill Lane.
The two parklets, both funded by Transport for London, cost a combined £ 38,760.
The council plans to announce further details on the program in early 2022.
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