Parklets make more space for people

After first being introduced during COVID to enable outdoor dining, we’ve now confirmed that parklets are here to stay.

For me parklets are all about bringing people out onto the streets of Wellington. When people have little cash left to spend we need to be doing everything we can to create new opportunities and experiences to bring people out of their homes and into the city.

Over the past few years we’ve seen thousands of new residents live in our central city. Residents who don’t own a car and walk everywhere they need to go.

Parklets are a fantastic way to bring the city to life. As you’re walking down the street you bump into people you know, you stop for a coffee and see a retail shop to pop into. You get to enjoy more time out in the sun (because you can’t beat Wellington on a good day).

A study conducted by the City of Toronto found that parklets not only contributed to creating great public spaces but found that they also stimulate economic activity in the surrounding areas. When these parklets are well designed they encourage longer stays by visitors and improve the experience for the nearby businesses.

When we challenge what the purpose of a street should be we open ourselves up to fantastic new opportunities. Parklets are just one of the ways that we can make our streets more friendly to people and pedestrians, reduce our carbon emissions, and have a thriving street front that supports our local economy.