How to Create Pedagogical Parklets for Children: Insights from the International Parklet Symposium
From April 2 to 4, 2025, the International Parklet Symposium took place in San Francisco, California, bringing together urban designers, architects, community organizations, local authorities, and urban development specialists from around the world.
The goal of the Symposium was to explore how parklets—modular public spaces built over parking areas—can be tools to enhance social well-being, equity, education, and urban quality of life.
Over three days of conferences, workshops, and practical activities, experiences, methodologies, and success stories were shared on creating inclusive, sustainable, and resilient parklets.
Assitants of the 2° International Parklet Symposium.
We had the opportunity to participate as speakers in this event, where we focused our presentation on a key theme: how to design parklets for children and their caregivers.
We presented the case of Mi Río Lab, a citizen laboratory led by Ortopedia Urbana to recover the spaces surrounding the Tepatitlán River. Based on this experience, we shared the practical methodology we have developed over the past ten years, with a special focus on the results achieved in the last three years, thanks to the support of the LAPIS (Child-Friendly Places) program promoted by Fundación FEMSA.
Our intervention methodology: Six key steps
Mapping stakeholders: Identifying key community actors.
Creating educational materials: Developing educational content on river care, water culture, and urban recovery.
Co-creation workshops: Children, through play, design parklet proposals.
Translating results: Producing sketches, renders, and 3D models.
Promotion and fundraising campaign: Strategies to spread the project and raise funds.
Final intervention and educational program: Physical implementation of the parklets, accompanied by a continuous educational program.
Practical workshop: Participatory design in action
During our session, we recreated the co-creation workshop following our methodological principles. We began with an ice-breaker activity where participants shared their professional background and recalled their favorite childhood place, analyzing its key characteristics, the people they shared it with, and the emotions associated with it.
Afterward, we went outside to identify a real site, measure it, detect risks, observe its identity, and recognize reusable urban elements such as benches, poles, or mailboxes.
Returning indoors, we conducted a role-playing exercise where some participants assumed the role of caregivers and others of children. We used cards suggesting different types of games and activities. Finally, we created parklet prototypes using simple materials like modeling clay, adhesive tape, wood, and paper, and prepared lists of materials and steps needed for implementation.
Final reflections: Towards a new generation of parklets
The main conclusions of the activity were:
The best spaces for children must be safe, dynamic, and promote exploration.
Many current parklets are commercially oriented, but they have great potential as community meeting and learning points.
It is essential to use natural boundaries like trees and vegetation to enhance safety and aesthetics.
Color and lighting are essential tools to differentiate and give identity to parklets.
Including parents and caregivers in the design is indispensable, as their participation allows children to stay safely and longer in the spaces.
Involving schools helps keep parklets active and sustainable in the long term.
Play, community involvement, and intergenerational participation must be at the heart of any intervention.
Creating pedagogical parklets means creating spaces that teach, welcome, and strengthen the social fabric.
We are deeply grateful to the organizers of the International Parklet Symposium for fostering dialogue and collaboration to build more humane, inclusive cities for all generations.
