Editor's Corner

Happy Friday!

A few weeks ago, I wrote an article about steps and stairs, and mentioned walking through a neighborhood “pocket park.” Some of you thought I was up to my old shenanigans of creating terms or national holidays that don’t really exist. Others sent me jokes about what pocket parks might be. Well, I’m here to tell you, pocket parks are a real thing!

From Wikipedia:

A pocket park (also known as a parkette, mini-park, vest-pocket park, or vesty park) is a small park accessible to the general public. [KC – Okay, I just have to add that “parkette” and “vesty park” make me want to throw up a little.] Pocket parks are frequently created on a single vacant building lot or on small, irregular pieces of land. They also may be created as a component of the public space requirement of large building projects.

Pocket parks can be urban, suburban, or rural, and can be on public or private land. Although they are too small for physical activities, pocket parks provide greenery, a place to sit outdoors, and sometimes a children’s playground. They may be created around a monument, historic marker, or art project.

In highly urbanized areas, particularly downtowns where land is very expensive, pocket parks are the only option for creating new public spaces without large-scale redevelopment. In inner-city areas, pocket parks are often part of urban regeneration plans and provide areas where wildlife such as birds can establish a foothold. Unlike larger parks, pocket parks are sometimes designed to be fenced and locked when not in use.

That is the perfect description of the two little pocket parks in my neighborhood. One is at the end of the street and is surrounded by houses and a canyon. The park itself is tiny: the corner of a block. But there are trees, some chairs, a few stumps to sit on, and birds, squirrels, and even coyotes that come to visit. Here are a few pocket parks in other cities:

Kara Church

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