In 2005 a San Francisco art collective called Rebar hatched an interesting idea – to highlight the prioritizing of personal transport needs over public parks in the urban environment, what if parking space was reclaimed, just for a day?
And so Park(ing) Day was born. The concept is simple: on the designated day, occupy a parking space in the street, and turn it into a park. You pay the meter, so it’s all perfectly legal, but instead of parking a car, you park some turf or some sand, some chairs, maybe some shrubbery. Then you sunbathe, have a barbecue, fly a kite, play some Frisbee, and invite passers to enjoy the temporary mini-park you have created.
It’s playful, it’s subversive, and it’s catching. Four years on Park(ing) Day has gone international, and last year saw urban space reclaimed in Australia, Brazil, Germany Spain, the UK and even Lithuania, to say nothing of the 58 different impromptu parks that sprang up in San Francisco itself.
There’s a serious point behind it all of course, as the originators explain. “More than 70% of most cities’ outdoor space is dedicated to the private vehicle while only a fraction of that land is allocated to open space for people. Around the nation, inexpensive curbside parking results in increased traffic, wasted fuel, and more pollution. It’s time to rethink the way streets are used!”
This year Park(ing) Day will be September 19th. If you want to take part, check out the official website for lots of creative ideas and a how-to manual. It’s surprising what you can do with 10×20 foot plot of tarmac!
