Kansas City Unveils First "Parklet"
Kansas City, Missouri (PRWEB) July 03, 2013 -- For decades, city planning had taken emphasis away from the pedestrian and given it to the car, trading green space for parking space. Urban planners are bringing green infrastructure back to the urban core. However, the process of reclaiming urban green space is costly and takes time. Parklets offer a near term, semi-permanent alternative as a small urban space that becomes an extension of the sidewalk, providing green space for people, occupying what would otherwise be a parking area.
The parklet, designed and built by Confluence and Structura utilizes, in part, Structura’s manufacturing wood waste. Bench planks and platform decking are fabricated with Accoya Wood test material provided by Universal Forest Products. Accoya Wood is an FSC certified, treated wood with the best environmental credentials and performance. Live Roof Sedum trays, typically used in green roof systems, were provided by Rooftop Sedums to add color and life but require minimal watering and maintenance. A Stuctura-designed solar powered light bollard allows the space to be used in the evening.
“While our team’s design and construction process was still underway, we were approached by other business owners interested in pursuing similar opportunities at different locations,” said Matt Evett, a landscape architect and project manager with Confluence. “The beauty of a project like this is that it allows the urban environment to be temporarily transformed, and allows people to think about the use of our streets in a different way.”
The improvements are scheduled to be in place throughout the summer until Labor Day – at which time it will be dismantled and removed. The team is already scouting potential locations for future parklets. Based on the initial input received thus far, this program may need to be expanded next year.
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Confluence is a progressive landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm with offices in Kansas City’s Historic River Market District as well as Des Moines and Iowa City, Iowa and Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Structura, Inc. is an innovative site furnishing and lighting designer/manufacturer based in Olathe, Kansas. Additional project and design information can be found here: http://crossroadsparklet.wordpress.com/
Stacey Williams, Confluence, http://www.thinkconfluence.com, 515-288-4875, [email protected]
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