Parklets are coming back to Bowling Green for the second year in a row, and this time with a little help from BGSU students.

The parklets made their debut in Bowling Green last year and are coming back slightly different. There will be new locations, new designs, and they’re even bringing campus and the community together by allowing BGSU students to help with their construction.

Twelve students volunteered to help and are working on building at least four new parklets while also upgrading the three used last year.

Student volunteers Jason Woodcock and Kate Lochridge aren’t just helping construct the parklets, but they also designed them.

“I’ve always liked parklets. They improve the community and part of the reason I got into architecture was for community impact and just making cities a lot better,” Woodcock said.

Students were unable to help with the project last year because construction of the parklets started later in the year. But this year, student help was welcomed.

“I thought it was such a cool project that I decided to take a chance and apply, and I’m so glad that I did because I have already found so many opportunities and developed more connections through it,”  Lochridge said.

Ellen Smith, Parklet Project Lead Fabricator, is one of those connections and said having help from the students has made a huge difference.

“It’s so great having BGSU involvement. School of art and architecture students are all participating and it’s been awesome. It’s amazing to have extra hands also to get things marked and cut. It’s a big build and there’s a lot of steps,” Smith said.

So far, the known locations of some of the parklets will be at Grounds for Thought, Juniper, and Kabob it.

Installation of the parklets will begin on Friday with the plan to have each one installed by May 6.