August 22, 2007
PARK(ing) Day 2007
Dear Readers,
Matt here, Andrea's husband. Thank you all for the birthday wishes a few weeks back! Andrea has graciously allowed me to commandeer her blog for the day to announce:
PARK(ing) Day 2007!
PARK(ing) Day grew out of a temporary public intervention that my art collective, REBAR, created in 2005. Way back then we were interested in exploring the range of possibilities for reprogramming the metered parking space for alternative activities. And, as it turns out, it is apparently NOT illegal in San Francisco County to occupy a metered parking space with something other than a private vehicle.
One of REBAR's PARKs PARK(ing) Day 2006
In response to the worldwide interest in that original project , REBAR created the first "PARK(ing) Day" in 2006, which included 47 PARKs in 13 cites around the globe, including San Francisco, Berkeley, Cleveland, NYC, London, Glasgow, Manchester, Rio de Janeiro, and others. The Mayor of San Francisco even built a PARK in his parking space!
PARK in SF Mayor Gavin Newsom's parking spot PARK(ing) Day 2006
This year we are doing it again! On 9/21/07 people around the globe will convert metered parking spaces into temporary public open spaces. So far this year is sizing up to be absolutely HUGE - there will be dozens of PARKs in SF, Berkeley, NYC and LA, and new participants in cities around the world, including Paris, Barcelona, Melbourne, Berlin, Munich and Toronto.
REBAR will be creating the "PARKcycle" a mobile, human-powered public park, which we will pedal around San Francisco, to deliver temporary public space where and when it is needed.
PARKcycle by REBAR
So, I'm writing to ask you to help us spread the word!
If you have a blog, bulletin board, or bullhorn, please tell you friends about PARK(ing) Day. Plus it's easy to get involved and build a park in your own urban environment!
Everything you need to know is on the PARK(ing) Day website and you can see the video trailer of last year's event here.
The goal of PARK(ing) Day is to:
1) inspire people to reconsider the way our streets are used;
2) generate meaningful dialog regarding the planning principles that continue to unsustainably privilege the automobile above other uses of public space,
3) and to put a big smile on your face!
So please, help us spread the word, build a PARK in your local community, or write about it on your blog.
Thanks so much!
Matt
Posted on August 22, 2007 09:28 AMfantastic!! so excited about it! we need one in atlanta!
Posted by: celisa at August 27, 2007 09:58 PMyou may already know this but your group and parking day
are featured in my latest edition of Sierra Club magazine!
The PARKcycle is hilarious! Love it! Roll on.
Posted by: Shelley Noble at August 25, 2007 02:54 PMDear Matt,
I love this idea but I have a suggestion. I think there are very good reasons to hold this event on a weekend. Aside from the fact that more people will be out and about able to enjoy and be inspired by the converted parking spaces, you will not be taking parking spaces (which in SF are hard to find) from those who need them. I'm an environmentalist but we are not at the point where public transportation meets all the needs of the elderly and/or the disabled. Some people need these parking spaces during the week, and your wonderful idea may have the un-intentioned result of making a doctor's appointment more of a difficult trek than it already is. This could all be solved by scheduling PARK(ing) Day on a weekend. I love your idea and hope that you will seriously consider my suggestion, which would allow everyone to enjoy PARK(ing) Day, including those with mobility issues.
Posted by: Amanda at August 24, 2007 05:29 PMAn interesting idea (I remember it from last year) but are you worried about safety issues? Not trying to be a wet blanket or anything but I have a feeling that if I came upon this, after 30 or more minutes of looking for a parking space, there might be some not so nice words said...?
Posted by: anon at August 24, 2007 08:22 AMI've forwarded this idea on to my tight circle of planner friends in Orlando, and hopefully we can do something, even if it's just as simple as pulling out a few lawn chairs, some sun tan lotion and potted plants....we've all sort of been talking about a community garden anyway, maybe this can be our instigator (I know I just butchered the spelling of that word, but so what...)
Posted by: Jennifer at August 23, 2007 05:21 PMwhat a spectacularly coo idea! i live in suburbia with limited metered parking, but i will link this post on my blog for all those luky enough to be urban on that day.
Posted by: mamie at August 23, 2007 02:36 PMI am so excited about this idea. I have loved the idea of PARK(ing)day ever since I first heard of it on this blog a couple of years ago.
I am so inspired that I am truly going to try to get the school that I teach at, to allow me to use one of our public parking spots to create a "temporary" park on Sept.21st.
I work with special ed.students and I think this would be a great opportunity for them to help create and get the school/neighborhood /community involved.
Thanks again for your inspiration! :)
I'll let you know how it turns out.
hi there andrea and matt. i posted matt's explanation and my own intro on two of my blogs:
www.artinaction.blogspot.com
and
www.worldwidewen.blogspot.com
i had actually posted about park 2006 on art in action, way back when it was, well, 2006.
good luck getting the word out!
i think you should announce it under "events" on craigslist...
Posted by: wen at August 23, 2007 11:09 AMOhhh.... and this year I can go to one right here in SF. Hello lunch hour!
Posted by: Meg at August 23, 2007 10:26 AMYou and PARK(ing) Day are officially my post of the day.
Cheers to all you do to make this world a more beautiful place.
I hope to find one of these in Toronto :) Dear Matt... you are hot... just had to get that out there :) Cheers from Toronto!
Posted by: Andrea Daoust at August 23, 2007 06:09 AMSo excited it's coming to Australia this year! Have emailed all my colleagues and friends to let them know.
Great work REBAR!
This is AMAZING! I am never disappointed by REBAR. I will share the wealth. Park on!
Posted by: Honey at August 22, 2007 10:35 PMThis is AMAZING! I am never disappointed by REBAR. I will share the wealth. Park on!
Posted by: Honey at August 22, 2007 10:35 PM