Last Friday was PARK(ing) Day all around the world. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, PARK(ing) Day is an annual event that invites individuals and organizations to transform metered parking spots into temporary mini-parks for the good of the public. It all started in 2005 in San Francisco by Rebar, an art and design studio, but has since gone global. Last year there were 850 parks in 183 cities, in 30 different countries, spanning 6 continents.
While creating temporary parks is the end result, the bigger picture challenges people to think about "re-imagining the possibilities of the urban landscape". Essentially, feeding the parking meter is a short-term lease on urban real estate, prompting one to examine the values around how public space is created and allocated. Spotting one of these temporary "parks" being erected on my early morning dog walk, I wandered the rest of the city to see what else might be popping up.
For more information on PARK(ing) day, visit their website here.
Images: Kimberly Watson
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I totally saw a girl in a hammock in a spot in Louisville and just thought she was crazy, hahaha! Go figure!
That's great! I looked at the pictures and went "eww!" and then read the concept and am sold! Anything that actively encourages people to rethink our connection to nature and, more importantly, the world and people around us is a step forward. This makes me want to "invest" in some temporary real estate next year.
This was our second year celebrating PARK(ing) Day in Dayton, Ohio. It's always nice to see our urban landscape getting mixed up a bit.