Park[ing] Day!

Park[ing] Day is tomorrow, and it's the first year that people in Los Angeles are participating. Think about how much parking there is in this huge, automobile-focused city, and what it would be like if all those parking spaces were turned in to parks, bike lanes, dedicated bus lanes or even soccer fields!

Tomorrow is your chance to turn a metered parking spot into the kind of space you'd like to see in your neighborhood. In other cities, people have put down sod and park benches (traditional park), a couch and coffee table (urban living room), raised beds for planting (community garden), bike rack (think how many bikes you can park in one parking space!) and more.

If you are LA-based like me, check out ParkingDayLA for a map of all the confirmed sites. (The place where I work is doing one in front of our Colorado Blvd. office--stop by if you are in the area!) Not on the map? That's okay! You can still participate. The website also has information about how to set up a site and any legal issues to be aware of.

For the rest of the world, check out the official Parking Day website for more info and a reclaimed-space near you.