A parklet is a small park, plaza, or creative public space that is physically installed or constructed in an on-street parking space.

In 2015, the Mayor's Blue Ribbon Panel for Washington Avenue recommended that the City Commission encourage the establishment of parklets along Washington Avenue, in order to stimulate economic development and further activate the Washington Avenue corridor.

The Mayor and City Commission approved the creation of the Washington Avenue Pilot Parklet Program ("Pilot Program") on December 9, 2015, allowing businesses located along Washington Avenue to install parklets for utilization by sidewalk cafes in on-street parking spaces on a temporary basis, subject to certain requirements and criteria. In order to encourage restaurants to participate in the Pilot Program, the Mayor and City Commission amended the City Code to abate sidewalk cafe permit application fees and per-square-foot permit fees for sidewalk cafe operators that participated in the Pilot Program.

The abatement was extended for a total duration of three (3) years. The Pilot Program was originally scheduled to terminate on March 31, 2019. On July 17, 2019, the City Commission adopted Ordinance No. 2019-4281, extending the duration of the Pilot Program through March 31, 2021.

On January 20, 2021, the Land Use and Sustainability Committee (LUSC) held a discussion regarding sidewalk cafes and parklets in the Sunset Harbour neighborhood. The LUSC members recommended that parklets for sidewalk cafe seating continue to be permitted, and recommended that staff draft an Ordinance to make the program permanent and bring it to Commission for approval.

The City Commission approved the Ordinance on First Reading at its June 23, 2021 meeting, and scheduled a Second Reading Public Hearing on July 28, 2021, where the Administration will present the proposed Parklet Design Guidelines for final approval, along with a recommendation to have the parklet fees based on a valet parking space rental calculation, instead of per-square-foot based fees (as proposed in the original Pilot Program).

The Miami-Dade County and the City of Miami Beach Emergency Order restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic greatly limited economic activity in the City of Miami Beach, and adversely impacted City businesses, including restaurants.   In response, the City Commission adopted a Restaurant Recovery Outdoor Seating Program ("Outdoor Seating Program"), in an effort to encourage businesses to reopen and promote economic recovery, while safeguarding the public's health and safety.    

The Outdoor Seating Program (which was extended through September 30, 2021) permitted restaurants to expand their footprint to promote social distancing and activate the public realm.  While this program was successful in helping the economy of the City during the pandemic it did lead to a wide array of aesthetic treatments for the outdoor seating areas.

At its January 20, 2021 meeting, the Land Use and Sustainability Committee recommended to continue to permit parklets along Washington Avenue, and to include Sunset Harbour. In order to address the aesthetic aspects of the program, Public Works was tasked with developing design guidelines to provide uniformity and quality to the more permanent Parklet program. These guidelines provide for location criteria and standards for design elements, parklet layout and materials.