On Friday, NC State alumni and students unveiled Raleigh’s first parklet, a small park, named “raleigh [ ] space,” built on top of two parking spaces at the corner of Hargett and Salisbury streets downtown.
A parklet serves as an extension of the sidewalk in front of the store DECO Raleigh, and acts as a green space among the bustling city scene. This parklet is the first in Raleigh. However, they currently exist in other cities and states, such as California and Oregon.
“There is an increased demand for parks, and though a parklet is only a small space, it creates a retreat from the street,” said Emma Blondin, a sophomore in design studies, employee at DECO Raleigh and active supporter of raleigh [ ] space. “One of the woman I interviewed about the parklet called it a pause, which I think is something people are starting to see as a necessity.”
Tyner Tew, a graduate student in landscape architecture, said he drew inspiration provided by Parking Day, an annual one-day event where artists and activists came together to temporarily transform public parking spaces into mini-parks. He, along with Bob Massengale, also a graduate student in landscape architecture, wanted to create a more permanent space that would not only engage the community but also benefit the surrounding environment.
“What we have tried to do is create a space that can change over time, and change to accommodate different community events,” Massengale said. “Things like maybe we can put our voter booth in this space for the next election, or maybe they can do acupuncture or yoga in the parklet.”
The soft launch that took place Friday only unveiled the beginning steps of the parklet.
“We were rushing to get this thing launched for the bluegrass festival, so not everything is complete,” Massengale said. “But it was interesting to watch how the parklet introduced an experience like no other at the festival. We had live musicians plugged in to a PA system, and everyone was right there. Right in front of the band. There were people and little kids dancing in and around the parklet, and people leaning up against the wall just enjoying the music.”
The raleigh [ ] space team hopes to incorporate more plants, benches, artistic overhead elements for shading, and even solar power charging stations. A more refined version of the space is hoped to be completed come April.
“I hope we get tons more parklets, and I think that we will!” Blondin said. “People are so receptive towards the idea, and the possibilities of such a small space. I think of it as kind of a front porch for people that work and live downtown. A place where they can relax and socialize.”
However, not everyone is thrilled to see two parking spaces being occupied in such a heavily visited part of downtown.
“Parking spaces were made to be parking spaces,” said Angela Woodson, an attendant of this past weekend’s bluegrass festival. “Raleigh is already surrounded by beautiful parks, why add another one in the middle of the street?”
Massengale said he and the raleigh [ ] space team understand the challenges they will face regarding speculation from surrounding citizens.
“If you are talking about dollars and cents, what if this is the first opportunity for a child to have their first public performance. Isn’t that worth more than a dollar per hour for parking?” Massengale said. “And how valuable is it for us to take toxic chemicals out of the storm water and street runoff, so you can maybe go eat a fish caught from Lake Raleigh one more time. And isn’t that worth more than having to find a different spot or walk a couple more minutes from a parking deck? A lot of things like this get overlooked.”
While Raleigh’s first parklet is only in its first stages, it is already getting a lot of attention.
“We already have people coming to us asking to use the space,” Massengale said. “A couple of individuals are even hoping to use the parklet for a theater performance.”
