Placemaking
Biodiversity value
The planting is much denser and more varied than in the Public Parks. Allowing the Park to be a nourishing and protecting habitat for Flora and Fauna. We also have Apples, Cherries, Figs, Passionfruit and Pears growing at the Pocket Park.
The making of a Pocket Park
It is not difficult to create and maintain a Pocket Park, but it is not easier either… Like with everything important and meaningful in life: You gotta look after it.
Timeline
Littering and Vandalism
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Community- buy-in
In 2016, during the construction of the Park, many passers-bye shook their heads sadly and said to us that this will never work. Now the very same people walk by and say: Well done. Some still tell us that the strip of green looks far to messy and they don’t want their children to play in it
Placemaking works, a small scale intervention can still be a landmark, contributing to the neighbourhoods unique identity and local pride of place
Placemaking
Child play at the Pocket Park
Yes, plenty of litter, unfortunately, a lot of it blows in from the road but people sitting on the benches and using the park do leave rubbish behind. Vandalism is not really a problem. But happens accidentally, for example fruit tree branches get snapped.
Anti- social behaviour
If sitting on a bench, drinking a can counts, then yes, it happens every day in the park, like on every public bench in the city. But the people who do that do not aim to disturb anyone else using the park. Men pee against the walls, the occasional homeless has slept there. But as long as we have homelessness, addicts and a lack of public toilets, these things happen all over the city. And in the Pocket Park
At the Pocket Park we have unique, custom made, natural play sculptures that are integrated in the park and collaborate with the plants. Not the generic, cordoned off softpour playpen that you find in so many Inner City parks
Free Events
weekly weeding sessions, insect surveys, dance and theatre performances and making temporary art for the park with children
Why we hope for more Pocket Parks in Cities
Empowering the community through lending them agency to change, experiment and beautify their neighbourhood to their taste. To make it greener themselves and not wait for the council to deliver on their behave. Just doing it oneselves.
Press and further reading
Since it’s inauguration, the Pocket Park has been written about. it featured in the Irish Times, as an example on how to invigorate the City.
