Coin-Operated Relaxation

Perhaps no space in the city is more hotly contested than the parking space. So when the creative folks at design collective Rebar went looking for alternative uses for these homely patches of concrete, they landed on a nicely counterintuitive plan. They would turn parking spaces into … temporary parks! In 2005, the group unrolled some sod and set up a bench on a parking spot on Mission Street, using their two-hour limit to lounge on the impromptu green. After people saw photos of the stunt on the Internet and decided that they, too, wanted to feed their creative meters, the annual Park(ing) Day was born. Here’s the gist of it: Scout out a spot, plug in some quarters, and cover the space with sod, chairs, and perhaps an inflatable swimming pool or potted plants. Voilà: You’ve reclaimed a bit of the city for purposes of communing with, not commuting from, nature. Groups in more than 60 cities will participate this year. If you’d like to get in on the fun, Rebar has instructions and a map on its Web site. Or, just take a stroll through the city. You’re sure to run into some repurposed parking spots, along with some very confused commuters.
Fri., Sept. 19, 2008