SPRING STREET PARKLETS UNVEILED! (Feb.7,2013)
At 9am this morning, Councilman Jose Huizar unveiled the Spring Street parklets in downtown LA. The parklets sit just between 6th and 7th street on Spring St. in front of Syrup and LA Cafe. The parklets are a combination of benches and tables, exercise equipment, plants, and yes, a foosball table.
This is a fantastic new addition for the residents downtown--It's not just more public space, it's a bigger incentive to hang out on Spring St., it's more bike parking, and a way of taking back road space for those of us who actually live, walk, and bike around here.
Harping back to our 2/6/13 Smart Growth class session, this is a movement toward complete streets and the beautification of them. Not only do we need bike lanes, but we need the infrastructure that makes biking and walking desirable to others as well. Creating these comfortable spaces signals that our choices are being prioritized over maintaining wide roads, oftentimes for the people who clear out at 5pm.
These permeable, flexible spaces allow for more eyes on the street (a la Jane Jacobs), more human interaction, and more amenities for those of us who have chosen mobility over 3 acre plots of land in the 'burbs.
As a resident of Spring St., thank you to CD-14 for investing in its pedestrians and bicyclists. We want more!
-Claudia P.
Photographs by Claudia Preciado.