In Richmond, residents gathered outside of Rich City Rides to celebrate Park(ing) Day safely. Photo: Josue Hernandez/Rich City Rides
The twelfth annual Park(ing) Day took place on Friday in cities around the country. Below are photos from California. Did we miss an event in your area? Let us know. (Note: New photos added 9/19/17.)
Park(ing) Day is a grass-roots event wherein people turn street parking spaces into something more useful and fun than car storage. It was started in 2005 in San Francisco by the design studio ReBar, and has since taken off worldwide, sparking conversations about the best and wisest use of street space.
In the Bay Area, many of the street parking spots that were turned into mini parks for two hours in the early years of the event—with park attendees paying rent for the spot by feeding the meters—have become permanent, officially sanctioned “parklets” with space for sitting, eating, and people watching between traffic and sidewalks. Some of those parklets hosted celebrations on Friday.
Walk Oakland Bike Oakland led a noontime bike tour of a number of permanent parklets in downtown. Oakland hosted a skateboard park in one spot, and a performance by Bandaloop far above the spectators at the Great Wall of Oakland.
Bonzing skateboards set up a ramp for play at Lake Merritt in Oakland. Also, the parking meter did double duty as a hat/phone holder. Photo: Melanie Curry/StreetsblogBonzing skateboards set up a ramp for play at Lake Merritt in Oakland. Also, the parking meter did double duty as a hat/phone holder. Photo: Melanie Curry/Streetsblog
People gathered in anticipation of seeing Bandaloop dance on the Great Wall of Oakland. Photo: Melanie Curry/StreetsblogPeople gathered in anticipation of seeing Bandaloop dance on the Great Wall of Oakland. Photo: Melanie Curry/Streetsblog
Bandaloop did a short performance on Oakland's Great Wall for Park(ing) Day. Photo: Melanie Curry/StreetsblogBandaloop did a short performance on Oakland's Great Wall for Park(ing) Day. Photo: Melanie Curry/Streetsblog
SPUR hosted a parklet in front of their offices on Mission Street in downtown, set up in conjunction with the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco.
PARKing Day in front of SPUR San Francisco. Photo: SPURPARKing Day in front of SPUR San Francisco. Photo: SPUR
PARKing Day in front of SPUR San Francisco. Photo: SPURPARKing Day in front of SPUR San Francisco. Photo: SPUR
The city of Stockton hosted its first-ever Park(ing) Day. There, nine parking spaces in downtown were turned into coffee house lounges, grassy knolls, and art installations.
“For a lot of people, it’s very hard to visualize what a parklet looks like,” according to Kari McKnickle, program specialist with the San Joaquin Council of Governments. The council of governments, along with its Dibs commuting program, the San Joaquin Bike Coalition, and members of the Stockton community, created installations that challenge people to re-imagine parking spaces as public spaces.
Dustin Brakebill, left, host of the local radio program The Voice of Stockton, is joined by Christine Corrales and Summer Anderson of the San Joaquin Council of Governments at a the Park(ing) Day parklet. Photo: Minerva Perez/StreetsblogDustin Brakebill, left, host of the local radio program The Voice of Stockton, is joined by Christine Corrales and Summer Anderson of the San Joaquin Council of Governments at a the PARK(ing) Day parklet. Photo: Minerva Perez/Streetsblog
Artists invited people to sit for portraits. Other spaces offered the use of a piano, a place to have a cup of coffee, and a chance to play with toy building blocks—as a way of offering feedback on potential transportation improvements in the region.
Christine Corrales, associate regional planner for SJCOG, said the Park(ing) Day event is a nicer way to connect with people than large public meetings, which “can be pretty intimidating to a lot of people.”
“Our goal is to create a community — an interactive downtown,” said Sylwia Qualls, communications manager at the Downtown Stockton Alliance.
Passersby gawk at the art installation created by Garrett Compton Danielle on North San Joaquin Street at Park(ing) Day in downtown Stockton. Photo: Minerva Perez/StreetsblogPassersby gawk at the art installation created by Garrett Compton Danielle on North San Joaquin Street at PARK(ing) Day in downtown Stockton. Photo: Minerva Perez/Streetsblog
Killefer Flammang Architects brought some crazy plastic people and trees to their parklet in Santa Monica--and made seating out of cardboard tubes. Photo: Damien Newton/StreetsblogKillefer Flammnag Architects brought some crazy plastic people and trees to their parklet in Santa Monica. Photo: Damien Newton/Streetsblog
A parking space on Third Street in LA's Midcity became a quiet place to enjoy the day. Photo: Joe Linton/StreetsblogA parking space on Third in LA's Midcity became a quiet place to enjoy the day. Photo: Joe Linton/Streetsblog
This parking space on Fairfax in LA was given over to people. Photo: Joe Linton/StreetsblogThis parking space on Fairfax was given over to people. Photo: Joe Linton/Streetsblog
In San Diego, Project New Village worked with Circulate San Diego to build a parklet with games and a quiet place to rest. Photo: Oscar MedinaMaking livable streets in San Diego. Photo: Oscar Medina
Pamela, Van, and Phoenix, students at California College of the Arts in Oakland, are taking a class called "Streets" where they got to meet one of the founders of Rebar. They used their park(ing) spot to ask people about their connections with people in other countries. Photo: Melanie Curry/StreetsblogPamela, Van, and Phoenix, students at California College of the Arts, asked people to weigh in on their connections to other countries at their parking spot in Oakland. Photo: Melanie Curry/Streetsblog
The Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition and Day One commandeered a parking space for two hours. Photo: Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition and Day OneThe Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition and Day One commandeered a parking space for two hours. Photo: Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition and Day One
After their two hours were up, the group moved on to an evening celebration at a different spot. Photo: Pasadena Complete Streets CoalitionAfter their two hours were up, the group moved on to an evening celebration at a different spot. Photo: Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition
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