Park(ing) Day is one of my favorite holidays. For one day, people imagine better ways we could use just a tiny percentage of all the precious city space typically reserved for storing cars.
The idea started in 2005 in San Francisco and has since spread across the world. Originally, and still in many places, participants operated subversively and without official permission. But Seattle has taken a more proactive approach by not only encouraging the day of creativity, but also organizing an easy and free permit process for participants.
At a time when SDOT seems unable to escape bad headlines and goes from interim Director to interim Director without clear leadership, a day of pure fun and creativity may be just what the department needs. It’s a chance to celebrate the fun side of managing public spaces.
New this year, participants can vote for their favorites online. And there will be an after-party 7–9 p.m. at the Center for Architecture and Design.
Here’s the city’s interactive map of the pop-up parks:
More details from SDOT:
Wondering where you can find a pop-up park on September 21? Check out our interactive map to find a pop-up park near you.
Along with the parks hosted all over the city, we’ve created neighborhood clusters of pop-up parks in seven neighborhoods in Seattle. Clusters allow you to visit multiple parks at a time and enjoy everything the neighborhood has to offer. This year, clusters are located in:
• Beacon Hill
• Capitol Hill
• Delridge
• University District
• Lake City
• Rainier Beach
• Pioneer SquareParks will be popping up all over the city from 9 AM – 7 PM; refer to the interactive map for hours, and then RSVP to the event on Facebook and share with your friends!
Pop-ups with the most votes…
When you check out pop-up parks on PARK(ing) Day, be sure to note which ones you like best and why… because on event day, you’ll be able to vote (online survey) for your favorites in each of three categories:
- Most creative use of space,
- Most connected to community, and
- Most interactive programming.
If you want to help celebrate the PARK(ing) Day award winners, swing by the celebratory after-party, hosted at the Center for Architecture and Design from 7 – 9 PM. We can’t wait to see who wins and honor ingenuity!
