sfwiggle.com

PARK{ing} Day 2008 was the best yet, and San Francisco helped lead the way with over 50 temporary public parks celebrating community, sustainability, and creativity. Started by SF art collective Rebar in 2006, the event has turned into a global exploration of the creative potential of the street parking space.

Open to anyone with an idea and the willingness to share, PARK{ing} Day is a one-day, global event centered in San Francisco. Artists, activists, and citizens collaborate to temporarily transform metered parking spots into “PARK(ing)” spaces: temporary public parks. Starting in 2006, the annual event has spread to over 80 cities in the US, as well as cities around the world such as Amsterdam, Brisbane, Toronto, Vancouver, Munich, Milan, and Leeds. There is even a special celebration in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic – where they leave the installations up for the public to enjoy for three weeks!!

Why set up a temporary park in a metered space on an asphalt slab by a busy street? For starters, the installations encourage us all to rethink how we perceive and we do with our public space (The Commons), and who benefits from this use. Is it a better use of space to warehouse a two ton metal box for a few hours, or to provide a recreational area where neighbors can converse, individuals can share ideas, and people that normally would not have a chance to connect get to share a positive experience? I can share some of the highlights from the installations I visited, and maybe you can be the judge.

I overheard people exclaiming how the event in previous years encouraged them to speak with their neighbors in depth for the first time, connections that have continued to grow to this day. There was the pedal powered organ by the SF Department for the Environment, with a sax player for accompaniment. The Friends of the Urban Forest were sharing information and organic apples outside the worker-owned Rainbow Grocery in a lovely park with wooden benches. The DPW added a giant Moon Swing in front of City Hall for eveyone’s enjoyment. Pirates offered free spaghetti and pirate cheer on Valencia. Workers downtown took time out during lunch for a friendly game of bachi ball. Temple nightclub offered fresh juice and tasty beats from their park on Mission. An installation in front of SF Moma made sun tea for everyone, and shared useful information on solar power. An older gentleman stopped by the SF Bicycle Coalition space to share his story and teach some of the volunteers the bird calls from his homeland. People gathered in the grass, chatting, smiling, reading books….with looks of joy that you won’t see in these parking spaces any other day of the year.

PARK{ing} Day has rapidly become one of my favorite holidays of the year! Let us all envision public space that works for all of us, fosters community, and lifts our spirits…

by Nathan Frankel