Pallet Royale

In collaboration with three other landscape architects and designers, we expanded on an opportunity where a vacant warehouse was turned into an interactive art gallery for one weekend. This coupled with the Urban Land Institute conference and gathering. We set up a parklet across the street, built with pallets and everyday materials to create an outdoor gathering place for this event. The impetus was the recent proposal to transform downtown sidewalks into linear parks by expanding the sidewalks from five feet to fourteen feet to enable space for seating, gardens, pedestrian trails and more.

Quicker, cheaper, lighter is a common term amongst tactical urbanists and was coined by Eric Reynolds of Urban Space Management in London. I was studying and experimenting with the concept of tactical urbanism to create small park spaces throughout downtown San Diego. Joined by two other enthusiasts, we demonstrated the ease and usability of current public open space known as parking spaces, to be transformed into proper public open spaces better known as parks. We piggy-backed off an art event known as Warehouse 1425, which transformed a vacant warehouse, (in-between lease agreements), into an art experience for two nights only.
Two angled parking spaces were better utilized as park space by art goers and downtown residents for two days. This small gesture, foretold future success for permanent development of parking spaces as parks in downtown San Diego and beyond.

COLLABORATORS:

Jorge Michios, SLIP - Designer, Project Coordinator, Go-getter Jiayu Qin - Designer, Project Coordinator, Go-getter Laura Burnett - Designer, Project Coordinator, Instigator

*Laura helped to develop a plan where six streets in downtown San Diego would designate their parking lanes on the east and north sides to become a crossing network of linear park spaces