Last Friday, September 15, you may have seen a few revamped parking spaces magically appear just for the day. Pop-up sitting areas, pocket parks, play spaces, picnic areas, art installations, or any number of alternate uses suddenly took the place of parked cars—all for PARK(ing) Day 2017.
Taking place the third Friday in September since 2005, PARK(ing) Day began with a single parking space re-imagined as a temporary public place by the San Francisco art and design studio Rebar. For more on PARK(ing) Day’s origins and story, check out Rebar’s PARK(ing) Day Manual. Creators of parklets this year included many chapters of ASLA, students, landscape architecture and design firms, small businesses, nonprofits, and many more.
Here in Washington, DC, the District Department of Transportation once again organized the application and permitting process for PARK(ing) Day pop-up spaces, and the city hosted 28 parklets this year.
The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)’s space in front of the ASLA Center for Landscape Architecture / image: Susan Cahill, Hon. ASLAimage: Alexandra HayASLA’s parklet featured a drawing activity based on the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden and an ASLA Green Roof postcard for coloring / image: Susan Cahill, Hon. ASLAimage: Alexandra HayActivities inspired by the ASLA Green Roof / image: Alexandra Hay
Below, we take a look at a few other PARK(ing) Day spaces organized in Washington, DC. From inviting sitting areas to mini-golf, these spaces highlight the potential a single parking space holds to host an array of different functions.
Landscape Architecture Bureau (LAB), LLC‘s PARKing Day design at the Yards was built from recovered plastic bottles collected from the Anacostia River watershed – the “sculptural installation abstractly illustrates existing pollution levels in the Anacostia River and the role that vegetation, green infrastructure, and the work of local environmental non-profits play in mitigating stormwater runoff and contributing to a healthier waterway.” / image: Katie Riddle, ASLAAnother view of LAB’s pet-friendly parklet / image: Katie RiddleJordan Honeyman Landscape Architecture‘s parklet highlighted pollinators and pollinator-friendly plantings / image: Alexandra Hayimage: Alexandra HayA cluster of parklets on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC organized by the Council of the District of Columbia, the Anacostia Watershed Society, the Nature Conservancy, and Washington Parks & People / image: Alexandra HayA pocket park-sized BBQ and “vertical wetland” watered by bike power were among the draws on on Pennsylvania Avenue / image: Alexandra HayGeorge Washington University’s Sustainable Urban Planning Student Organization used their parking space to share resources on climate change / image: Alexandra Hay Landscape architecture and urban design firm Lee and Associate‘s mini-golf parklet / image: Alexandra HayThe DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID)‘s spot on 7th Street NW / image: Alexandra HayDowntownDC BID’s parklet provided an opportunity for passersby to vote for their favorite placemaking features (and get a massage) / image: Alexandra HayThe Office of the People’s Counsel parking spot on U Street NW / image: Alexandra Hay
We hope you had a chance to design or just stop by a parklet or two for PARK(ing) Day this year! For more pictures from across the country, look for #ASLAPD17 on social media or visit our Tagboard.
