Pink parklet provides pop of colour as well as parking for bikes

Published on 27 July 2018

Did you know a transportable cycle park is among the many options for housing your bike in the city centre? It's relatively rainproof, too!

Palmerston North City Council's parklet programme converts car parking spaces into amenities for people using the street. We think of them as attractive miniature parks. It's an approach that until this year has been used mainly for sitting and watching the world go by.

But in January a pink parklet for bikes popped up on the corner of Rangitikei Street and The Square – designed to meet the increased need for cycle parking in the area, while keeping the footpath free of obstacles.

Designing a cycle facility from scratch has enabled us to add features that are fit for purpose, such as shelter from the elements. The colourful parklet also creates visual interest in an otherwise asphalt-dominated section of street.

The main benefit of using a parklet for bike parking rather than a permanent structure is that as demand for cycle parking in the city centre changes, it can easily be moved to priority areas, says PNCC Planner Keegan Aplin-Thane.