PARKing Day a major success


9/25/2012 • 12 years ago

caution sign The information on this page may be outdated as it was published 12 years ago.

Parking Day

The Cambridge PARK(ing) Day Celebration transformed 16 parking spots into parks for a day!

On September 21st, 2012, the City of Cambridge partnered with a whole host of community partners to present 16 PARK(ing) Spots, in honor of International PARK(ing) Day!

PARK(ing) Day is an annual open-source global event where citizens, artists and activists collaborate to temporarily transform metered parking spaces into “PARK(ing)” spaces: temporary public places. The project began in 2005 when Rebar, a San Francisco art and design studio, converted a single metered parking space into a temporary public park in downtown San Francisco. Since 2005, PARK(ing) Day has evolved into a global movement, with organizations and individuals (operating independently of Rebar but following an established set of guidelines) creating new forms of temporary public space in urban contexts around the world.

The mission of PARK(ing) Day is to call attention to the need for more urban open space, to generate critical debate around how public space is created and allocated, and to improve the quality of urban human habitat … at least until the meter runs out!

Original concept by Rebar.

For a map of the 16 spots, look here.

Participating PARK(ing) Day spot-sponsors for 2012

  • City of Cambridge Community Development Department - Game Day
  • CitySmart - There are lots of ways of getting around town
  • Cambridge Energy Alliance - Solar and Energy Efficiency
  • Harvard Graduate School of Design - Sit in!
  • Charles Associates Real Estate - Bike Art
  • GreenPort - Solar
  • City of Cambridge Mayor's Office - How do you take your tap?
  • CCTV - What is your vision for Central Square?
  • MIT Senseable City Lab - Moveable city! What do you envision for Cambridge?
  • Friends of Tobin, Inc; Tobin Friends of Fresh Pond Club; Friends of Fresh Pond Reservation - Play time!
  • East Cambridge Dog Owners Group - Dog Park
  • Oceana, Climate and Energy Campaign - Water
  • The Democracy Center - Rustic living room
  • Central Square Business Association - Central Square
  • MIT Museum - Robots!
  • Cambridgeport Public School - Arts Committee

Photos/Video of the Event

The Democracy Center Video

The Democracy Center Photos 

The Community Development Department Facebook post

Community Development Department Photo Gallery 

Kendall Press Blog Photos - How do you take your tap?

Friends of Tobin Blog - with Photos!