The Golden Triangle BID celebrated the installation of a bright yellow mini-park.
By Anika Reed
parKIT (Photo by Anika Reed)
The Golden Triangle Business Improvement District just got a lot brighter with the installation of a parklet on Tuesday.
The bright yellow mini-park, named parKIT, extends the existing sidewalk in front of 2020 K St.
, NW, taking up two parking spaces.
Tuesday morning’s ribbon cutting ceremony introduced the seasonal parklet, which will be up through October.
It is the first of its kind in the District to stay in place for an extended time period.
Two designers at the architecture and design firm Gensler created parKIT as part of a design competition in conjunction with Sustainable DC, the District Department of Transportation and the Golden Triangle BID.
Tanya Stern, Leif Dormsjo, Jeff Barber, Tommy Wells and Leona Agouridis (Photo by Anika Reed)
“We have a strong interest in parklets,” said Tanya Stern, deputy director of planning, engagement and design for the District’s Office of Planning . “We love any kind of project that helps to activate corridors, bring people down to areas.”
The parklet has moveable pieces, which people can rearrange, and features triangular planters fit with flowers.
“We hope people will use it,” said Leona Agouridis, executive director for the Golden Triangle BID. “We hope people will come here, have a cup of coffee, just sit down for a little bit of time. There’s not a lot of outdoor seating on this particular block.
”
Alongside Stern and Agouridis at the ribbon cutting were Leif Dormsjo, director of the District Department of Transportation; Jeff Barber, managing director of Gensler’s D.C. office; and Tommy Wells, director of the District Department of the Environment.
parKIT (Photo by Anika Reed)
Wells said that with the introduction of the parklet, the city is “reimagining our public realm.”
Each Tuesday, starting July 21, the parKIT will feature “Making the City” events from 12-2 p.m. as a way to utilize the space in creative ways that highlight the initiative. This event series complements the Golden Triangle’s Farragut Fridays, another outdoor program that connects area workers, residents and visitors alike through activities and weekly outdoor movies.
“One great thing about parklets is that it really changes your idea about how you can use public space,” Stern said. “I think what this offers is a way to try out something new and see how it works.”
