News
Seattle PARK(ing) day, September 17
September 10, 2010
Seattle, Wash. — Feet First is coordinating this year’s annual PARK(ing) Day, an annual worldwide celebration that inspires artists, activists, and citizens to independently and simultaneously transform on-street parking spots into “PARK(ing)” spaces: temporary public parks. On Friday, September 17, 2010, nearly 70 on-street parking spaces across Seattle will be occupied by public parks for the day between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
The average city dedicates about 20 percent of its public land to the movement and storage of automobiles, including roads and parking. PARK(ing) Day shows city residents what urban space can look and feel like when more public land is allocated for parks, art, recreation, social interactions, and other people-centric pursuits—rather than vehicles.
A PARK(ing) Day After-Party is being sponsored by Feet First, Streets for All Seattle, and The People’s Parking Lot. The event will be held at “Central Park”—a large cluster of temporary parks in an empty private lot located at 500 East Pine Street on Capitol Hill. The party will begin at 5 p.m. with an award ceremony for the best parks in the city held at 6 p.m. Live music and entertainment will continue until 10 p.m.
The Puget Sound region’s first PARK(ing) Day occurred in 2007 with just four parks. Last year, 30 parking spots were transformed in Seattle and this year Feet First has more than doubled the turnout of last year’s event. “The substantial increase in the number of spots in this year’s PARK(ing) Day is an example of how people have come together to create vibrant communities in a meaningful and playful way,” says Lisa Quinn, Feet First Executive Director. Many of the parks will be located in the Downtown Core, but parks will be created as far north as Lake City and as far south as Columbia City. Many of the parks will be created by community groups, non-profits, and Seattle residents. A detailed map of all the expected parks in Seattle can be downloaded here: http://feetfirst.info/assets/documents/PARK-ing-%20Day%20Seattle%202010%20Map.pdf
People are encouraged to download a copy of the PARK(ing) Day Seattle 2010 Map and use it to navigate the city on the day of the event. Park creators will be initialing each visitor’s map upon request. The person who visits the most parks—and collects the most initials—throughout the day will receive a prize at the award ceremony in Central Park on Capitol Hill.
PARK(ing) Day began in 2005 when Rebar, a San Francisco art collective, converted a single metered parking space into a temporary public park. Since its inception, PARK(ing) Day has grown into an international event. In 2009, over 700 PARKs were created in 21 countries all over the world.
“From public parks to free health clinics, from art galleries to demonstration gardens, PARK(ing) Day participants have claimed the metered parking space as a rich new territory for creative experimentation, activism, socializing and play,” says Blaine Merker of Rebar.
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