Mamlets - A Sustainable Parklet Network in Malmö, Sweden

Abstract: Today cities are the result of centuries of history and human development, accelerated during the past 100 years. Post-industrialization, modernism’s top-down city planning approach, and the prioritisation of motor vehicle design over humans resulted in more people moving to cities, more space needed to allocate new vehicles, expansion over rural areas, and exponential pollution growth. Thus, humans were drawn apart, losing the feeling of community and proximity. In 2005 in San Francisco - USA - the Rebar design team presented a new approach to mitigate the alienation experienced in cities. They rented a metered car parking space, equipping it with seating and vegetation, creating a community space to empower art, activism and cultural expression. Since then, this idea has flourished and has been tested in many cities around the world, leading to the Parklet concept. This Thesis Project examines this concept, plus territoriality, sustainability, and mobility. Furthermore, it analyses Malmö Stad’s Comprehensive Plan and SUMP. Additionally, two surveys were held to comprehend malmöit’s stance, trace a comparison to the aforementioned and propose a democratic design to make a better city for people with people. Inspired by Parklets, Mamlets aim to encourage citizen responsible action while recovering precious urban space in Malmö. Mamlets consist of separate versatile human-size modules - 1 m x 1.25 m - that can be stacked, exchanged and combined in multiple ways. Granting a myriad of possible outcomes as a response to the site-specific needs. Moreover, Mamlets will upcycle old construction material, be smart-packed and delivered by cargo bicycles around the city, promoting a circular economy while producing a small CO₂ footprint. Combining multiple Mamlets will create new green and urban amenities while aiding Malmö’s mobility network. This approach will not only repurpose urban space for citizens, democratically and inclusively, but have a sustainable impact aligned with Malmö Stad's, LFM30, and the SDGs plans for 2030.