Boston Avenue looked a little different between Fifth and Sixth streets on Friday.
Tulsa’s Young Professionals and the Downtown Coordinating Council paid the fees to take over three parking spaces for the day.
"But then using landscaping, using art and design to help people think differently about the public realm and about the importance of urban parks and public spaces in the built environment," said Downtown Coordinating Council Executive Director Brian Kurtz.
The parklet includes turf, plants from Southwood Landscape and Garden Center that will be reused, seating and tables, and a This Machine rental bicycle stand. There’s also a map of downtown for visitors to pin suggestions for new amenities to.
"I see a lack of public spaces in downtown or places that people can just feel comfortable going out to and congregating in on a regular basis, and if this helps people think about that important role that those spaces play, this is exactly why we are out here today," Kurtz said.
Kurtz has said he wants to implement recommendations in a downtown walkability study, which include creating a variety of usable public spaces.
TYPros Executive Director Maggie Hoey said green spaces can be a draw for young professionals looking for a city to call home.
"But the great thing about it is everybody benefits. So, we’ve had people from all age ranges come out today and enjoy, which I think is very normal for green spaces when you have them," Hoey said.
Park(ing) Day is the third Friday of September, but it was too rainy in Tulsa to enjoy the parklet last week.
