Park(ing) Day is observed tomorrow in New York City and in other cities around the world. The international holiday, which turns boring old asphalt parking spaces into whimsical urban oases, was started back in 2005 by Transportation Alternatives and Rebar, a San Francisco-based art and design collective. It became an annual event, and every year the curbside creations have gotten more elaborate and inspired. Last year saw parking spaces transformed into such curiosities as a meditation garden, a geodesic dome, and an urban arbor.
Though some miserable grouches wondered, "Where's an out of control taxi cab when you need one?" we think this initiative is refreshing. Transportation Alternatives spokesman Wiley Norvell explains, "Park(ing) Day is about jarring New Yorkers out of the notion that our streets need to be all-car, all the time. In a city where fewer than half of households even own cars, there are many more productive uses for 120 square feet."Here's a map of all the Park(ing) Day installations; if you're out there celebrating send us your photos or tag them "Gothamist" on Flickr.
