I love the Green Line, and I think they've added enormously to the public life of the neighborhood, but do agree that the placement of this little parklet does seem to "take" public space for the benefit of one business entity.
If parking space were going to be "sacrificed" for other uses, I'd far rather see them go to projects like the "Stormwater bumpouts" the water department is trying out (they put some in along their reservoir on Queen Lane in East Falls -- not a particularly attractive implementation, but a start). They add greenery, divert storm water from the overtaxed drainage systems, and if placed properly can help with traffic calming. I can think of several places around the neighborhood where these would be welcome additions. Kathleen On Thu, Aug 11, 2011 at 12:36 PM, Karen Allen <kallena...@msn.com> wrote: > Apart from calling people "stupid" and "silly", Brian's attempt to > ridicule legitimate questions appears to endorse one thing: that > the "parklet" is primarily intended to provide free seating to benefit > private businesses, which was actually Glenn and Al's point. > > *"As for the provision of extra seating for either the Green Line and the > Best House... well, this is actually kind of a stupid issue"* > It's not "stupid"- Al was raising the quesion of whether there was bias in > the choice of placement based on the people likely to use the seating. > > > *"So one can't argue that one place needs seating more than the other, and > then argue that there's no need for the Parklet. That's silly."* > It's only "silly" if the assumption is that there is a "need" for more > public space to be diverted to the benefit of a private business entity. We > already have that now with sidewalk cafes, but at least the business has to > provide the chairs and tables and have a limit on how much of the sidewalk > can be used. "Parklets" provide chairs, tables and a nice deck--put up and > taken down--all for free, and the residents lose two parking spaces. There > is no "need" for a public or quasi-public entity to use public space to > provide free outdoor seating to *any* private business. If they want > seating, they can pay for it themselves. And if there is a need for more > space for rest and reflection, why not simply ask the residential community > where they'd like it to go? > ** > *"It went up in a few hours, and it can be taken down in a few hours, and > relocated to other stores and events... so why not try suggesting a few > locations to them? (In front of the pet shop and Bindlestuff Books is a > possibility.)" > *Why were the pet store and bookshop included here if the primary purpose > is for a "public" amenity?* > * > ------------------------------ > Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2011 11:48:31 -0400 > From: briansi...@gmail.com > CC: UnivCity@list.purple.com > > Subject: Re: [UC] Re: Parking Spaces @ 43rd & Baltimore > > On 8/11/2011 8:31 AM, krf...@aol.com wrote: > > > > 1. If a "real" parklet -- as opposed to extra outdoor seating for a > private enterprise -- is desirable, I can think of a huge number of > locations where it would make more sense, as opposed to a stone's throw > from > Clark Park where there's plenty of greenery, outdoor seating, and > other pedestrian amenities. > 2. The fact that the parklet is on the east side of 43rd Street where > it affords extra seating for The Green Line rather than on the west side > where the patrons of The Best House could use it speaks loud and clear of > UCD's (and others') apparent continuing attitude about the anointed who sip > their lattes and tap-tap-tap away on their laptops versus the benighted who > wolf down pizza and hoagies while guzzling beer -- and probably burp and > pass gas, occasionally, too. > > I can think of several of reasons why the parklet wasn't installed by the > Best House. The most obvious reason is that the trucks that deliver supplies > to the Best House park on 43rd street. And these are _big_ soda trucks. They > really can't park on Baltimore Avenue to offload cases of beer. I can't > imagine the Best House people agreeing to give up that space for something > as strange as a parklet. > > The second most obvious reason is that it was easier to get permission to > use the parking spaces from Philly Car Share. Third reason is that the area > by the Green Line has a lot more tree shade, and it makes for a more > pleasant place. > > As for the provision of extra seating for either the Green Line and the > Best House... well, this is actually kind of a stupid issue. Both places > have seating to begin with. Both places have some outdoor seating. And in > case y'all haven't noticed, there's a lot _moire_ outdoor seating across the > street, at the plaza in Clark Park, at the tables and chairs provided by the > Friends of Clark Park so that people can bring their steaks and pizzas and > sodas and coffees into the park and enjoy the place. > > So one can't argue that one place needs seating more than the other, and > then argue that there's no need for the Parklet. That's silly. > > And y'all seem to be forgetting a _very_ important thing. The Parklet is > _not permanent_. It went up in a few hours, and it can be taken down in a > few hours, and relocated to other stores and events. Complaining about it is > like complaining about the plays or festivals in the park: just wait a > while, and whatever's pissing you off will be gone. Its placement at the > Green Line is an experiment. UCD can relocate it to any other location you > guys suggest... so why not try suggesting a few locations to them? (In front > of the pet shop and Bindlestuff Books is a possibility.) >
