PARK(ing) Day

Friday, September 18th, 2009 is the fifth annual PARK(ing) Day in San Francisco.  This event started in 2005 by Rebar, an arts collective who took one metered parking spot and transformed it into a public park.  The event has grown into an international single day event with PARK (ing) spots in 6 continents registered on the community map.

I have stumbled upon some of these sites in the past, without really knowing what was up.  I saw one and thought, what a great mini-park.  Reminded me of times in college when people would move all of their living room furniture out onto the lawn (yes, back East, we have lawns) for the day.

PARK(ing) Day is allowing artists and designers to rethink how public space is used.  By one estimate, about 70% of our public space is used for automobiles and parking spots--available for lease, by the hour.  Participants in this event are reimagining other, better uses for these public spaces...parks, tea gardens and kinetic sculptures that sound make bird songs, to name a few.  My friend Charles Ackerley, who with colleagues from the Blanket Collaborative are participating in the event, are planning a 3 hole golf course on 2nd and South Park.  Check for sites on the San Francisco map, or take the walking tour.  I plan on exploring and enjoying tomorrow.

I wonder how many quarters it takes to feed a meter all day?