A pop-up parklet just made its debut in front of Bae Bae’s Kitchen in the 900 block of Liberty Avenue. The public area occupies a 24-by-11-foot space and features tables, chairs and a greenhouse-like structure filled with plants that the Korean-inspired restaurant can use in its kitchen.
In addition to providing a welcoming extension to the Liberty Avenue sidewalk, the greenhouse filters air pollution and captures stormwater with air filtering plants, rainwater collection barrels and a pollution-cleansing paint called PURETi that contains TiO2 nanoparticles that neutralize pollution from nearby vehicles.
Digital sensors monitor air quality and stormwater volume. People can follow the greenhouse’s pollution-killing progress on Twitter.