Nineteen years after Park(ing) Day was first launched to get people rethinking how street space is used, the parklets it inspired are common enough that they are no longer shocking or even surprising.
But Park(ing) Day still has something to say.
The idea that a street parking spaces could be used for something other than cars was first proposed in 2005 by Rebar in San Francisco. Rebar's design team chose a parking spot in downtown, at First and Mission, rolled out some turf, added a tree and a bench and fed the meter. According to the Park(ing) Day website, they had been looking at the costs of San Francisco real estate, and they discovered that the city's curbside meter rates made a parking space about the cheapest piece of real estate in the city.
They also discovered that the SF Parking Code said nothing about having to have a car in a parking space.
"Calculating that between twenty and thirty percent of San Francisco's land area was streets, and that minus the sidewalk, seventy to eighty percent of that space was dedicated to vehicle movement and storage, we began to discuss ideas for more useful ways of occupying this precious part of San Francisco’s public realm," they wrote.
Their idea attracted a lot of attention and enthusiasm, and in the next few years people began applying the ideas in cities all over the world.
It seemed a statement worth making, plus a lot of fun.
Fast forward to 2024, and the idea is not so strange anymore. Over time, restaurants and cafes wanted to add parklets so they could have outdoor space, and cities - and even Caltrans - began to support them with designs, guidance, regulations, and even sometimes funding because it was obvious that a few cafe tables were more lively than a parked car. Then along came the pandemic, and the need to avoid close quarters, and outdoor dining exploded.
Today, parklets are known and understood, and although the excitement and surprise of those early days - people were doing WHAT in parking spots? - Park(ing) Day still has a worthwhile message to make how much space our cities give over to car storage. As Kea Wilson wrote earlier this month at our sister site, Streetsblog USA, organizers of the event are connecting it back ideas to reform parking policy.
This year, most of the annual Park(ing) Day festivities will take place on Saturday, September 21 - but some take place today, and at least one happens on Sunday. Look around for one or two in your area - or create a park yourself, and add it to the map so parking policy reform efforts don't have to continually re-invent the wheel. Just remember to pay the meter.
Below are some spots SBCA found - quite a few are in San Diego, and there are probably many more in California. If you know of any, or see any out there in the wild, please add them in the comments.
- Bike San Diego will be creating a Park(ing) Day installation at the Adams Avenue Community Space, 3017 Adams Ave, San Diego (or close by). Visitors will be invited to discuss transportation in San Diego and learn how they can get involved in supporting sustainable transportation. They will be prompted to complete the sentence: "A vibrant & livable San Diego looks like…" with the answers on display for everyone to see and discuss. Instagram: @BikeSD
- Circulate San Diego's Park(ing) Day celebration will happen today, Friday, September 19, from 2-6 p.m. at 359 3rd Avenue. With support from the Chula Vista Police Department, the City of Chula Vista, and the California Office of Traffic Safety, the pop-up will be a space "designed to prioritize people over cars, encouraging a more connected, safe, and livable urban environment." Expect visits from local community leaders, urban designers, and transportation advocates helping to shape a future where streets serve everyone.
- Great Ecology and Moosa Creek are collaborating on a Park(ing) Day installation today, September 29, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 2540 San Diego Ave., San Diego. The installation will highlight native plants found in the five most prominent eco-zones of San Diego county: woodlands, grasslands, coastal sage scrub, riparian, and coastal strand (dune). It is billed as "a unique opportunity to observe all of these different eco-zone plants in the same space, as well as to learn about the importance of native plants and green spaces." Instagram: @great.ecology
- Also in the southland, McCullough Landscape Architects at 3605 Fifth Avenue in San Diego plan to turn the parking stalls in front of their office into micro-units today, Friday September 29. This is to highlight how much a parking space would cost in San Diego based on its square footage, to bring home the high cost of real estate (and the absolute steal people get when they pay the meter). They plan to be set up by 11:30 a.m., with a discussion at 12:30 p.m.
- The Los Feliz Neighborhood Council will transform a parking space at 4651 Kingswell Ave in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 22, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Games, snacks, and a chance to reimagine how public spaces can foster community connection in this walkable neighborhood.
- In Long Beach, the East Village Arts District and the Downtown Long Beach Alliance plan to host a space at Broadway and Elm Avenue. The theme there is "using public spaces for art and connection." Instagram: @dtlballiance
- BEGA North America, an architectural lighting and design company, will celebrate Park(ing) Day 2024 not on the street but in their parking lot in Carpinteria, at 1000 Bega Way. The company is "excited" to reveal new designs at the event.
- The Sacramento Strong Towns chapter and Sacramento Area Bike Advocates host a pop-up parklet to "reimagine the built environment with art, games, and urban design." This will happen from 11 a.m to 2 p.m. on Saturday September 21, on 10th Street right in front of Cafe Xocolatl, which sounds delicious.
