University City District and SHIFT_DESIGN Install Philadelphia's Largest Parklet

UCD and Shift_Design have collaborated to install a new Parklet in University City. UCD’s Parklets – the innovative, temporary seating platforms that provide residents and visitors with a space to take in the area’s lively streetscape—are landscaped with planters and a decorative railing, furnished with movable café tables and chairs, and add a distinct vibrancy to the neighborhood. The Parklet at 125 S. 40^th Street, in front of a new stretch of businesses that include Hai Street Kitchen, Jake’s Sandwich Board, Zesto Pizza & Grill, and a Dunkin’ Donuts, measures 60 feet long and is among the longest Parklets ever constructed.  

This winter UCD gained national attention due to the publication of The Case for Parklets: Measuring the Impact on Sidewalk Vitality and Neighborhood Businesses, a study that provides data and recommendations based on analyses of six Parklets in University City from the 2013 season and their ability to bring more life to public spaces and more feet to neighborhood businesses. Key findings from the report, including the Parklets’ ability to attract users, the boost in sales to local businesses, and the additional social spillover, led to the desire to create an even larger version. The Parklet consists of a 60-foot-long, 6-foot-wide wooden platform landscaped with lush plantings and furnished with nine café tables, eighteen chairs, and three fixed benches.  University City District’s Capital Projects Manager Nate Hommel says, “At UCD we are always folding what we learn from our public spaces into our next-generation placemaking devices.”

After bringing back Parklets outside five local businesses, University City District sought a partner willing to house the new, bigger version. Based on the research they had conducted, Hommel and UCD felt the new stretch of businesses at 125 S. 40^th Street was an ideal match for a Parklet. The conversation began with representatives from Hai Street Kitchen & Co., who at the same time were seeking ways to connect with the community. Hai Street Kitchen, a fresh and urban Japanese-casual and uniquely customizable concept that offers food with all-natural ingredients, were excited to bring add the Parklet. From there, Hommel says, “There was an immediate buy-in from all four businesses, which allowed us to create our longest Parklet to date.  The natural shade of the site combined with this bustling retail corridor should make this a popular space.

SHIFT_DESIGN, who has collaborated with UCD on previous Parklets, the UCD green wall currently on Lancaster Avenue, and elements of the newly redesigned Porch at 30^th Street Station, manufactured the new Parklet. Mario Gentile, founder and CEO of SHIFT_DESIGN, says, “Our studio’s approach to creative placemaking aligns well with the tactical urbanism visions that UCD strives for, making them a great partner for these projects."