Two years after being first proposed a trial "parklet" has replaced a car parking space in Belsize Park.
The community space has been installed by The Camden Clean Air Initiative on Antrim Road to reduce traffic, encourage active travel, and increase beautiful space in the community.
The Camden Clean Air Parklet includes a seating area, bike rack, and planters full of plants to attract pollinators.
The Parklet was officially launched on July 28 with Camden Council, local business owners, local residents and community groups in attendance.
Jeffrey Young, founder and chief exec of Camden Clean Air, said the not-for-profit organisation has always focused on reducing vehicle emissions and improving air quality across Camden.
He added: "Point three of our 'vision', that we created at the start, is to ‘convert 100 car parking spaces into Parklets with space for benches, plants, and bike lock-ups’.
"We hope that this parklet will be the first of many and are excited to be at the front of policy change that will bring benefits to the Camden community.”
The Camden Clean Air Initiative was selected along with three other organisations in Camden to develop and install a trial parklet.
It will now be in place for 12 months, and if successful, the council may consider introducing a scheme providing a process for the wider community to apply for parklets.
The parklet was designed by Levene Landscapes, a local Landscape Design Studio, which worked on the project for no fee, to create a design that met the Camden Clean Air vision.
Manufactured and installed by Doingrbit, the parklet was sponsored by Lime, London’s e-bike and e-scooter provider, which funded the cost of the parklet, alongside grants from the Camden Climate Fund and Camden Giving.
Cllr Adam Harrison, lead member for a sustainable Camden said: “The impacts of the pandemic demonstrated how important our shared outdoor spaces are for our residents, particularly in Camden where two in five of our residents’ homes do not have access to private outdoor space."
Thanking Camden Clean Air, he added: "The council are currently trialling a number of parklets across the borough, and I know there is appetite for more."
Hal Stevenson, senior public affairs manager for the UK at Lime said he hope "this is just the first of many" parklets in London.
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