As you step outside your home or office this Friday, September 19, don't be surprised if you see your neighbor lounging where their car would normally be parked.
In fact, don't be surprised if an antique coffee table is perched on the sidewalk next to them, or if a working lamp, bookshelf or mini-fridge is alongside in the gutter.
Every year here in Philadelphia -- and throughout the world, for that matter -- on the third Friday of September, an unusual celebration of public spaces occurs at dozens of metered parking spaces throughout the city.
Known as
PARK(ing) Day, the nine-year-old event was first launched in San Francisco, where a single metered parking space was transformed for two hours into a miniature public park by members of an
architecture firm. A photo of the temporary installation soon went viral, and by
2011, PARK(ing) Day was being celebrated in 162 cities on six continents.
Here in Philly, more than 50 diminutive pop-up parks will be installed in Center City, Queen Village, Germantown, Fishtown and North Philly, to name a few. An
interactive map of the planned parks can be accessed online.
As Erike De Veyra of
Zimmerman Studio, which organizes the event locally, points out, the purpose of
PARK(ing) Day Philadelphia isn't solely to raise awareness of public spaces. It's also to suggest that public spaces, which bring communities together, don't necessarily need to be large or even particularly expensive in order to serve their purpose.
From 5 to 8 p.m., the
Center for Architecture will host an after-party featuring photos from the day.
Click here to reserve a spot.
Insider's Tip: According to De Veyra, a Center City architecture firm historically hosts one of the event's best parks. It's located near the corner of Broad and Walnut.
Writer: Dan Eldridge
Source: Erike De Veyra, Zimmerman Studio