Are You Willing To Give Yourself To This People-Counting Program?

Remember the Parklet? It was the code name for the secretive memorandum at the core of Robert Ludlum's novel The Straphanger Reverberation, a memorandum with implications that reached the highest levels of government--- no, wait. Sorry. That's not right at all. (Although we do love a good fake Robert Ludlum title.)

This is a parklet:

Adorable parklet at Green Line Cafe, 43rd & Baltimore; photo credit: phillymotu.wordpress.com

Much less overwrought than a Ludlum plot synopsis, the parklet is a parking space turned into a tiny roof deck stationed in front of coffee shops, libraries, and restaurants. Last year the City put up six of them to much acclaim. This year, MOTU is currently expecting to install at least eight, in Manayunk, Chinatown, West Philly, Fishtown, and Grad Hospital.

To bolster this program, MOTU is hoping to glean more data about the success of these installations. So they're looking for volunteers for a very dangerous mission: 

to sit in a park for two hours and count people.

"You came to us...you volunteered...you said you'd do anything it takes to [count people using parklets]...you're not
a liar, are you? Or too...weak to see this through? This is it. You have to let go of David Webb...really give yourself
to this program..."

MOTU wants to study the parklets' impact on both businesses and pedestrians. Towards this end, they need volunteers to take 2-hour shifts hanging out in a parklet and counting users or passing pedestrians (there may be some before/after counts involved as well). 

Are you man or woman enough to serve your Mayor's Office of Transportation and Utilities? There is a kick-off sensory deprivation experiment informational meeting, but you don't need to attend the meeting in order to volunteer.

Parklet Use Study - Kick Off Meeting

Monday, March 4th; 11:00 AM

Municipal Services Building, room 1450

If you are interested but cannot attend the meeting, contact coordinating Director of International Intrigue dude Ariel at ariel.ben-amos@phila.gov.