The Parklet
The Land
The Laurel Cyclery is located on the unceded territory of the Lisjan Ohlone Nation. The map on the left illustrates the many people of this land we call the Bay Area. In appreciation for the stewardship practiced by current and previous generations of Ohlone people, we engage in the practice of Shuumi, a voluntary contribution toward ongoing efforts to reintegrate this land under indigenous-led stewardship.
We encourage you to also practice Shuumi and learn more about the extensive projects coordinated by the Sogorea Te' Land Trust that are happening all around us! Visit their website to contribute your Shuumi and find out more.
Our Parklet
The parklet in front of our shop is the result of a long-standing community effort to maintain a public gathering space in the Laurel District. The parklet was originally built in 2015 at the request of neighborhood leadership. It was re-visioned and re-built in 2022, thanks to donations from hundreds of local residents and dozens of businesses. We call it "our community's love letter to ourselves," because residents of the neighborhoods surrounding the Laurel District care about this place, and the parklet is a physical manifestation of that.
Design
Our goals of the current design were to 1) create a calm, comfortable space for folks to relax, breathe and co-mingle and 2) inspire reflection about the present-day reality of settler-colonialism on Ohlone land. To these ends, we offer the forms, materials and flora constructed behind you. We avoided jagged, definitive lines to reflect the topography of the local hills. The planters are filled with California native plants that straddle those hills. Can you recognize echoes in the parklet design of the hundreds of shellmounds that remain in the East Bay, built by Ohlone people to honor their ancestors? Can you hear the ancestors offering us the accumulated knowledge passed on they accumulated over countless generations about caring for the water, about fire suppression, about limiting the impacts of climate change, and living as a good neighbor (and visitor) on this land?Contribute
If you've appreciated this parklet while waiting for a friend, resting your feet, or mulling over your next move, consider donating to the ongoing daily maintenance for this space. Your donation pays for native plant varieties, water, landscaping labor, and frequent sweeping and cleaning. If not us, then who?
Venmo between $5 and $50 to @laurel-cyclery for this community project. We thank you in advance for your support.