Though Park(ing) day organizers stopped tracking numbers last year, it's safe to say that dozens of cities will be turning their parking spaces into public spaces today. But for Alissa Walker, participants could better spend their time and energy.
After eight years of increasingly successful annual events, Washington D.C. and New Brunswick, New Jersey are just two of the many cities in the United States and in dozens of other countries that will be celebrating Park(ing) Day by turning parking spaces into temporary public parks today.
Alissa Walker, however won't be joining the celebrations. "Parking Day has been very successful in launching a global conversation about the lack of parks in our cities. It has even lead to some permanent parks inspired by the Parking Day movement. But I think designers, architects and public space advocates should spend today doing something else for their city—and here's why."
Walker outlines eight reasons why she thinks we don't need parking day anymore. Among her arguments: it's dangerous, it's already worked, and It's time better spent working on an actual park.
FULL STORY: Why We Don't Need Parking Day Anymore
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research