Unfortunately I missed this happening last Friday, as a group reclaimed a metered parking spot on Delmar Avenue in the Loop for a temporary park. Park(ing) Day began in San Francisco in 2005 when an urban design studio reclaimed a single parking spot as a park for the day. That particular area of San Francisco had been identified as lacking public greenspace and the reclaimed parking spot highlighted the need for more urban open space for people and the overwhelming priority that has been afforded to automobile traffic.
Since then, the annual event has spread around the world and been sought context in individual communities. Everything from free bike repair shops to urban farms have replaced a metered parking spot. It's great to see small, but very meaningful efforts like this happening in St. Louis. Still unclear on what and why Park(ing) Day is? Check out the video below from a past event in New York City.
{all photos courtesy of Stephanie Co}
