Video: Walnut Creek’s New (Sort Of) Permanent Parklets

WALNUT CREEK, CALIFORNIA – If you enjoyed the hastily-assembled little parklets that spilled into roads and parking lots during the pandemic–and hated to see them taken down when the world went back to normal–you’re in luck.

Walnut Creek is bringing back the parklet. And now, instead of DIY affairs made from old lumber and maybe a couple planters, they’re fully-permitted, well-constructed little platforms built to last.

Technically, these aren’t permanent. They’re built on top of the underlying pavement, so they could likely be removed (and the road preserved) if needed in the future.

Still, a new program in Walnut Creek is providing funding for restaurants to add them–and to build them right.

We visited the new one at Sasa in WC.

But there’s also one coming in outside Ramen Hiroshi, and other local spots look to be adding them, too. It’s a parklet boom, people!