2024-11-24T02:07:34-05:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/103260146/started-from-the-bottom-boston-experiments-with-parklets-as-place-making-strategy Nicholas Korody 2014-07-02T18:03:00-04:00 >2023-05-05T23:21:15-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/y7/y7bpiq0w9fzcbikx.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p>The city of Boston has been the stage for a long history of experiments with public space. Most notably, the Boston Common is the oldest public park in the country &ndash; and perhaps the first public urban park in the world. Originally a shared cow pasture until overgrazing led to a real-life example of &ldquo;the tragedy of the commons&rdquo;, the 50 acre plot of land later bore witness to the Revolutionary War, public executions, riots, protests, and concerts. Now, Boston will be the most recent in a slew of international cities to adopt parklets as a means of activating and extending sidewalks into revitalized public spaces.</p><p>An increasingly popular tactic in urbanism, parklets are small spaces that often replace two or three parking spots to make way for seating, greenery and other amenities. Though often permanent, they tend to be constructed in ways that allow for easy dismantling, either to accommodate winter snows or for emergency situations. Started in San Francisco as unsolicited interventio...</p>