Environment

Green Space by the Minute: Park(ing) Day

by Jordan Yerman | September 20, 2008 at 08:09 am

352 views | 16 Recommendations | 6 comments

Park(ing) Day, organized by the Trust for Public Land, began as a bit of urban anarchy: plugging a parking meter and then temporarily transforming the parking spot into a public park until the meter runs out. Originally began in San Francisco by REBAR, the event has spread across the US, as well as to far-flung cities from Amsterdam to Melbourne (see the TPL link above for participating cities). As one might imagine, it was quite a hit with the microblogosphere.

After visiting the East Hollywood Neighborhood Council 's park, I pedaled down to Wilshire Boulevard to see what parks would be in the Koreatown area surrounding the Wilshire-Western Purple Line stop. The first park I happened upon was by Mia Lehrer and Associates. Their park doubled as a reminder of the damage that pollution can cause to the LA River. In addition to the willows and"giant reeds" in the planters the shade was created by plastic bags and police lines.

Meanwhile, back east...

On First Ave. and E. First St. in the East Village, there was a whimsical fairy setup with pastel toadstools and oversize tea cups on a patch of sod.

In the Ditmas Park section of Brooklyn, organizers surrounded a grass bed with picket fencing and brought out art supplies and chocolate chips for the tots.

This event took place in Toronto, and I didn't even know about it... maybe next year I'll grab a spot on University and Queen West and set up a kiddie pool with a little garden. Or a very short Slip 'n' Slide. Or even just some potted hostas and a few deck chairs.

0 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend This comment thread is now closed

Uva Oxide

at 11:52 on September 20th, 2008

So grandly funny.. I often wonder as I walk around in the cement covered city if we took all parking-lots in the US and made them two or three stories high and planted a park on top, watered by a gray water system -- how many thousands of square miles of heat radiating concrete would be greened up ? There is stats about how many miles of roads we have but.. how much green space could we build ? ..

anyway, this article made me smile, thanks. (even if this is in Canada, we still breath the same air :)

Barbara McPherson

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 12:10 on September 20th, 2008

jordan, I like this story. It's good stuff. A little green guerilla action!

apple_jamz

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 15:03 on September 20th, 2008

jordan, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Love this idea

brisparkingday

at 16:31 on September 20th, 2008

Jordon -
Images of Toronto PARK is up at http://lonsdalegallery.blogspot.com/

I saw it late afternoon (when it was on the car). The same concept is happening again on Queen St W, this Sunday for World Car Free Day - http://www.streetsareforpeople.org/blog/

From
Yen.
www.brisbaneparkingday.blogspot.com

ITSRG Parking Day

at 07:18 on September 22nd, 2008

Our event, called Sustainable Disobedience, was a collaborative effort between students enrolled in Environmental Policy Issues in the Department of Geography and Urban Studies and ITSRG, the Information Technology and Society Research Group of Temple University. The aim of our mini park was to illustrate how citizens can visualize new landscapes in our post-industrial, North Philadelphia locale. For more information about our event, visit our blog at: http://plantyourpark.tumblr.com. For more information about ITSRG, visit http://itsrg.org .

ITSRG Parking Day has contributed a photo to this story.