Area residents, private companies, and non-profits last week turned parking spots into playful areas for the sixth year of Park(ing) Day. On Friday, September 20, Chattanoogans created and enjoyed numerous parklets, or mini-parks, constructed in downtown metered parking spaces.
Park(ing) Day was created by a San Francisco-based art and design studio to encourage communities to rethink the way streets are used and reinforce the need for broad-based changes to urban infrastructure to promote vibrant, walkable urban areas.
River City Company, which organized Park(ing) DAY 2013, invited individuals, community groups, businesses, and non-profits to create a parklet. There was no fee associated with participating in Park(ing) Day, and groups were tasked with being creative and engaging when designing and implementing their parks. Nearly 30 parklets were created by participants like Chattanooga Christian School, Gigi’s Cupcakes, Big River Grille, Outdoor Chattanooga, Community Pie, Buddy Shirk, and Color Cloud Hammocks.