Beyond the Curb: Parklets In North Jersey

Parklets are extensions of the sidewalk from the curb into the street: they are installations of public seating, art, plants and other elements, typically located in one or more parking spots and protected from traffic. They are places to gather, eat and drink, celebrate and create, work, play, and build community. With numerous placemaking benefits, these public spaces can make downtowns a more desirable place to live and work, and a more attractive destination. While a relatively new concept in New Jersey, parklets have been successfully implemented in places across the country, from large cities like Philadelphia, San Francisco and New York City, to smaller cities and regional downtowns such as Bellingham, Washington and Louisville, Colorado.

Beyond the Curb: Parklets in North Jersey is a project for the Together North Jersey Local Demonstration Project Program spanning the region but focusing on Downtown Morristown as a pilot location, including Washington Street, Speedwell Avenue, South Street, the Town Green, and Morris Street/Morristown train station area. This project proposes to:

1. Facilitate use of on-street parklets to create a more pedestrian- and bicycle friendly downtown, and to make the downtown more attractive to residents, visitors and businesses.
2. Facilitate the incorporation of public art and passive recreation space into the downtown.
3. Promote parklets as an economic development tool for the downtown.
4. Create a design handbook that is easily transferable to similar programs across New Jersey.