PARK(ing) Day: User-Generated Urbanism from Brandon Bloch on Vimeo.
Park(ing) day is all about re-imagining what our cities can look like. There are parklets spring up all over the city. Find one near you and check it out during your lunch break or after work. Hopefully the rain will hold off.
How much is this nonsense costing the city?
Just a few parking spots across the city where its own citizens can enjoy a temporary park, take pleasure in some camaraderie with old friends, and meeting new. Sounds like a great way to start the weekend.
I’m sorry that it inconveniences some drivers who now lost a handful of street parking spots. Perhaps they’re just jealous that their town doesn’t do the same for its citizens.
I should embellish that while there is probably a cost to the city for this, I think helping build “community” amongst the citizens of the city and the neighborhoods participating in it is a worthwhile trade-off. It’s only for a day.
This is all organized by volunteers and Feed First. As far as I know the city has no official involvment in this.
Nothing Norman.
That’s not entirely true, Adam. But it’s a great event and the cost is certainly minimal.
Jason this really is besides the point but what are the costs you are speaking of. From my understanding the city doesn’t have any direct involvment in this.
Yes, it’s beside the point. Remind me about the part where I brought this up or replied to Norman in the first place.
Anyway, the city has it’s own Park(ing) Day site. Any planning for the park was not free, and the staffing hours today are not free. Most “furniture” at the site probably comes from a transportation planner’s back yard, but there may be small purchases as well, depending on what they’re doing today. And in the past a city vehicle has been used to transport stuff.
Like I said, minimal costs and a great event.
Thanks for the info. I thought it was completely put on by volunteers.
Nothing since the parking spots have to be paid for.
Congrats Norman, you are on the wrong website to spout that comment. I wish local governments would get involved in this type of temporary place making
They should buy up 20 spaces in the 1201 Garage ($15 early bird) and put their astroturf there (plastic green…how environment is that?)
Then a poorer person could use the spaces which are near the Benaroya Hall and Art Museum. I work right near there and daily pre-school vans are always letting toddlers in and out.
Thanks to these Ruling Class Greens, a bunch of 4 year olds were made miserable.
What is the point of this foolish event? Didn’t our mayor recently say he wants to increase the cost of onstreet parking, supposedly so there are more parking spots available, and people don’t have to drive around looking for a parking spot so long? Does eliminating parking spots for these little “parks” make it easier to find a parking spot, and decrease circling around blocks looking for a parking spot, which is what our Mayor says he wants to do?
Also, can anyone document that the “miniature parks” paid to use those parking spots today? If so, who exactly paid, and how much did they pay?
I was involved with a Park(ing) day spot last year. We had to purchase a parking sticker from the vending machine just as any car would to use the spot between the posted hours. The staffing of the spot and any decoration, seating, event that takes place there are organized and provided for by the group that sponsored the park.
Norman, I would agree with you 100% if these little “parks” were a permanent fixture. However, they are not. The one that was put up outside of my office on 1st Ave was only there during off-peak hours (9:30am – roughly 2:30pm). I do not consider this event as the Mayor “flip-flopping” on an issue. Most of these parks only consumed one to two parking spots – hardly a dent in most neighborhoods. To your point, someone probably did have to circle a block or two to find a spot that wasn’t right outside where they wanted to park.
Honest question, Norman – do you live within the city limits? Do you honestly not see the other benefits that come out of an event like this? Do you consider parking 2 blocks away from your destination an inconvenience and just circle a block until a spot opens right up outside the door?
People outside my office were playing on a makeshift mini-golf course in the “park” having fun. They were hanging out with people they would not otherwise normally meet. It brought a smile to some faces who were otherwise stuck in cubical hell for a few moments of the day. To me, this is more than enough to justify the *temporary* loss of a parking spot.
Actually, we should have stuff like this as permanent fixtures. They’re doing similar things in SF and NYC, and they’re great.
I think Norman is just a plant to get us all riled up and to post something. LOL…it really works!! Regardless, I love these. Seattle is getting so original. We’re thinking and doing this that only larger cities and European cities are doing.
Keep it up Seattle!!
I saw three of these micro-parks yesterday in Victoria. The nicest one was a rectangle of turf with a small group of beanbag chairs arranged on it. I didn’t speak directly to any of the participants, but I heard one woman mention that she’d paid at the parking station and would not mind speaking to a parking enforcement officer about it.