Every third Friday in September, folks don on their creative caps, head out to their nearest parking spot, and create a pop-up parklet for Park(ing) Day.
The idea for Park(ing) Day—wherein you pay for a metered parking space for a single day and use it as a site for an urban intervention/temporary installation—began with a single spot in San Francisco in 2005.
Art collective Rebar, who sought to test ideas of temporary design and car-centric urban planning, occupied a parking spot by covering it in grass turf, setting up a park bench, and a potted tree. And the rest is history.
Now folks from all over the world take part in Park(ing) Day, even if San Francisco’s output over the years has waned. Nevertheless, it is still a great opportunity to see what our streets could be like with less cars and more parklet action.
Here are some scenes from today’s tiny pop-up parks.
Jenga, anyone?
Jenga! #parkingday in effect in #SF pic.twitter.com/tl70N6I1go
— Patrick McDonnell (@patrickm02L) September 16, 2016
The next three image sets show off a cool DIY pinball table.
Amazing creation by colleagues Grant & Market #BCJArchitecture @BCJarchitecture #pinball #parkingday @archandcity pic.twitter.com/KERHwNx2ZF
— Rosa Sheng (@RosaSheng) September 16, 2016
— Rosa Sheng (@RosaSheng) September 16, 2016
#parkingday #pinball #bcjarchitecture @BCJarchitecture pic.twitter.com/0x80OVQVnk
— Rosa Sheng (@RosaSheng) September 16, 2016
Sure, let’s use an actual park here! Why not?
#SFSU #ParkingDay is happening today! Stop by and hang out with these awesome DAI 300 students! pic.twitter.com/vfGEeLoVfS
— Sustainable SF State (@GreenSFSU) September 15, 2016
And over in the East Bay...
Creating space for people to gather and grow community in #Oakland today. #parkingday pic.twitter.com/S7pa2y0pg0
— WOBO (@walkoakbikeoak) September 16, 2016
Sadly, not everyone is happy with Park(ing) day frivolity. Over in the East Bay, police shutdown Groundworks Office’s very cool looking park this morning. Alas.
Cops take down #ParkingDay! Doesn't #OPD have better things to do? @BikeEastBay @walkoakbikeoak #ASLAPD16 pic.twitter.com/AjIGIPC9cd
— Jinhee Ha (@itsmejinhee) September 16, 2016
#ParkingDay2016 is poppin at 109 Park Pl. in the Pt. Richmond Historic District. Stop by! #NPSUrban #ParkingDay pic.twitter.com/fvrTyJTJJ2
— Kieron Slaughter (@kjslaughter) September 16, 2016
#parkingday FAIL. @oaklandpoliceca @LibbySchaaf Told to remove it, or get arrested. @walkoakbikeoak @Oakland pic.twitter.com/ljbwC8aMSk
— Groundworks Office (@GWOffice) September 16, 2016
And let's not leave out Sacramento.
w/ @williams_paddon & @XLConstruction participate in PARK(ing) Day #parkingday #downtownsac #downtownsacramento pic.twitter.com/fJz1FOGOp8
— Miyamoto Int'l (@miyamotointl) September 16, 2016
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