PARK(ing) Day is a one-day, global event where citizens, artists and activists collaborate to transform parking spaces into "PARK(ing)" spaces: temporary public parks. Initiated in 2005 by Rebar, a San Francisco art collective, the event has evolved into an annual happening with participants in cities worldwide (from Portland, OR, to Rio de Janeiro). A quintessentially "open souce" project, PARK(ing) Day addresses a variety of social issues. Over its four year history, PARK(ing) Day has expanded beyond the basic "tree-bench-sod" park typology first modeled by Rebar to include interventions ranging from art installations to free health clinics, urban farming and ecology demonstrations, political seminars, free bike repair shops and even a wedding ceremony.
How will Tampa PARK(ing) Day 2009 work?
For Tampa PARK(ing) Day 2009, a series of PARK(ing) spaces will be installed along the N. Franklin Street corridor, from Café Hey (just north of I-275) to Madison St. With assistance from the Tampa Downtown Partnership, artists, designers, architects and other independent businesses will create a dozen PARK(ing) Day sites along this pedestrian-friendly route designed to highlight independent businesses and promote creativity, civic engagement, and unscripted social interaction. Visitors are encouraged to walk, bike or utilize the free electric cart shuttles to tour and relax in all of the Tampa PARK(ing) Day spaces.
An after-party celebrating Tampa PARK(ing) Day will be held at Café Hey,1540 N. Franklin Avenue, from 8-12 pm Friday, September 18th. Theafter-party will feature live music and a slideshow with images of the day's events and site installations. This event is free and open to the public.