Playful, portable, pliable interventions into street spaces: deploying a ‘playful parklet’ across Melbourne’s suburbs

ABSTRACT

A parklet is a small, relocatable public space installed onto kerb-side car-parking spaces. This article examines the evolving design, programming, approval process and reception of a ‘playful parklet’, available for free public use, which was transformed and relocated between four urban contexts in Melbourne. It demonstrated a creative, collaborative placemaking approach involving artists, game-makers, researchers, residents and local governments. Through analysis of its playful, portable and pliable design, the article highlights three areas of innovation: testing new post-COVID governance and engagement possibilities; incorporating adaptability and incremental adjustment into parklet design; and serving as a platform for new modes of social and spatial play.

KEYWORDS:

• Parklets
• temporary urbanism
• placemaking
• play
• design research

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Australian Research Council [DP180102964].