Friday, September 18th is Park(ing)Day. This annual, one-day, worldwide, non-commercial, awareness-raising enterprise is the brainchild of Rebar , a San Francisco art and design studio “operating at the intersection of art, design and activism.” Park(ing) Day began in 2005 when Rebar’s principals rolled out sod and added a park bench to a single, metered parking space, creating a temporary public park in San Francisco, where a quarter of the landscape is paved.
This ephemeral event has since grown into a global phenomenon. 2009 promises to deliver more than 1000 instant parks, in at least 65 cities, in more than 10 countries, including the US, Canada, Spain, Norway, Brazil, Australia and New Zealand.
Artists, environmental activists, gardeners, urban planners and citizens longing for more public green space, will breathe life into city streets by converting 10′ X 20′ parking spaces, and parking lots into mini parks, for one day. The creations range from basic sod and park bench installations to urban farming demonstrations, environmental art installations, playgrounds and putting greens.
The visual relief that just a single, small rectangle of green brings to the cityscape is striking. This symbolic gesture highlights not only the merit of more urban green space, but also the growing domination of urban land use by the automobile. PARK(ing) Day observances generate awareness of the allocation of public space, with the long-term goal of inspiring community participation to improve the urban landscape.
More than half the world’s population lives in urban or suburban settings. As this population grows, public green spaces are increasingly necessary to maintain and improve the quality of city life. Wherever open, public green spaces are provided, people naturally congregate. According to The Trust for Public Land , the founding sponsor of Park(ing) Day, urban parks promote walking and outdoor exercise, increase property values, attract and retain residents and businesses, absorb heat, reduce runoff, naturally help filter the air and foster community pride and human connection.
These temporal green spaces may pave the way for permanent installations. In Springfield, Ill, a 150 sq. ft. Park(ing) Day offering, set up by city officials, inspired action to install a permanent park at that location.
Consider the creative, green possibilities of the paved spaces in your area and reclaim the street for a day. Join the Park(ing) Day Network for tips and guidelines, to join a group in your city, or to register your park.
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