More on PARK(ing) Day
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 09.20.07
As we reminded you earlier, tomorrow is PARK(ing) Day - an international event that "challenges people to rethink the way streets are used and reinforces the need for urban open space." As Lloyd put it a few weeks ago, "Now it is beyond an artistic intervention; it has turned into a movement and a holiday, September 21." We want you to help document PARK(ing) Day events the world over, showing us by photo and comment what can be done in one day to turn places for cars into places for people.
Going to PARK(ing) Day in your city (or plan on starting one)? Show us what it was like. Tag your PARK(ing) Day photos as "treehuggerparkingday07" on Flickr, and we might show them on the site next week! Or, you can always leave a message in the comments to tell us how the event went down where you are.
And, be on the lookout tomorrow for a TH Radio interview with Liz Ogbu of the San-Francisco based non-profit Public Architecture. Public Architecture, along with REBAR, who started the project two years ago in San Francisco, and The Trust for Pulic Land, is helping to organizing this year's PARK(ing) Day.
Happy PARK(ing) Day everyone!
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- World Class Streets Have More Pedestrians, Fewer Cars.
- New York City May Implement Tough Bicycle Parking Requirements
- San Francisco Mayor Challenges Business to Install Solar
- Bowoto v Chevron Human Rights Case Could Set Legal Precedent With Environmental Applicability
When I heard about parking day the first thing I thought about was the wasted energy that had been put into growing the sod that was going to, most probably, be left to die after the day was over. However, my concerns were assuaged when I visited a parking space that had been converted on Pine Street in Long Beach, CA where they had used astroturf and potted plants, all of which could be easily packed up and taken when they left.
Good idea, forcing people to drive longer looking for a spot, burning more fuel.
Good idea, forcing people to drive longer looking for a spot, burning more fuel.
You live to bitch, don't you?
we used real grass at our event in Flatbush, Brooklyn, and although i had some of the environmental concerns the first commenter lists, you cannot imagine the impact that sitting on real grass had for many of our visitors, especially the kids (we had over 50 kids visit throughout the day).
our neighborhood has a lot of greenery (old trees, big gardens), but it is all privately owned, there is no community park other than Prospect Park, which is beautiful but not close by, and a toddler playground which is gloomy and has no grass or plants. Many of the people i spoke to at the park mentioned the need for these amenities (which are easy to take for granted if you have them); some even said they were considering moving away because they wanted more open space for their kids for their kids to play.
this is exactly the sort of dialogue that Park(ing) Day aims to inspire.
we'll have pictures up in the next day or so:
http://sustainableflatbush.org
and will probably be part of a video about Park(ing) Day in NYC:
http://www.streetfilms.org