By Mary Velan
Gov1
Every year, a global event is held where citizens, artists and activists come together to transform metered parking spaces into temporary public places. Organizations and individuals experiment with new forms of temporary public space in urban contexts worldwide in an effort to raise awareness of the value of urban open space and encourage more creation of such public plazas in communities. The goal of the event is to generate critical debate around how public space can be created and allocated, as well as improve the quality of existing urban centers to boost the residential experience.
When Did Park(ing) Day Start?
In 2005, a single metered parking space in San Francisco was transformed into a temporary public park. The Rebar art and design studio decided to convert the parking space in a neighborhood particularly devoid of public open space. Much of downtown San Francisco is focused on movement and storage of private vehicles. The temporary transformation aimed to highlight the need for more space to serve a broader range of public needs - a common disparity of urban areas across the county.
From this single event, the Park(ing) Day project was created to explore the range of possible activities participants can undertake when they pay the meter and lease the valuable urban property for a short period of time. Furthermore, the project aims to spur discussion on the value of urban public space and its impact on the community.
Modern Park(ing) Day
The first Park(ing) Day event resulted in one parking space being covered with sod , a planted tree and a park bench for a few hours. Over the past 10 years however, Park(ing) Day events have evolved worldwide to address a variety of social issues in diverse urban contexts. Some examples of alternative parking spot transformations to be held on the third Friday in September include:
- Free clinics
- Urban farms
- Ecology demonstrations
- Political seminars
- Art installations
- Free bike repair shops
- Wedding ceremonies
The goal of Park(ing) Day is to inspire organizers to identify community needs and values, draw attention to specific issues that are important to the local community and empower individuals to redefine space to better suit the demands of residents. The event has turned into a tool for civic engagement as well as challenged members of the community to pay attention to the use of the physical environment around them.
Check out a gallery of Park(ing) Day images from this year’s events across the country.