From the Trust for Public Land website:
On National Park(ing) Day - Friday, September 19 - volunteers in more than eighty cities across the U.S. will create more than 450 temporary parks in public parking spaces. The goals of the event, according to organizers, are to celebrate parks and promote the need for parks in America's cities.
National Park(ing) Day is sponsored by The Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national conservation nonprofit, based on an idea conceived by REBAR, a San Francisco art collective.
For a full list of cities, maps, and descriptions, visit tpl.org/parkingday.
"By turning parking spaces into instant parks, National Park(ing) Day creatively demonstrates how much our cities need parks," said Will Rogers, TPL president. "Across America, cities are renewing their investments in parks, because civic leaders have come to recognize that close-to-home parks, gardens, and playgrounds are essential if we are to have cities that aren't just livable, but lovable."
In 2007, National Park(ing) Day spawned more than 200 new parks in more than fifty cities nationwide and around the world.
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--- from a press release the Mayor's Office, Pittsburgh, PA:
MAYOR RAVENSTAHL AND COUNCILMAN DOWD CELEBRATE NATIONAL PARK(ING) DAY
Leaders transform parking spots into public parks, offer free 'valet' bike parking
Date: September 19, 2008
Contact: Joanna Doven, 412-255-2694
(mobile) 412-475-2387
joanna.doven@city.pittsburgh.pa.us
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"Pittsburgh truly is 'America’s Most Livable City' and our parks play significant roles in that distinction by improving our quality-of-life," Mayor Ravenstahl said."It’s an exciting year for our parks with the re-opening of the City Side Lawn of Point State Park, and the upcoming transformation of the Mon Wharf from a parking area to a green space and important trail connector. I am proud to sponsor my park(ing) space and I hope it will spark more discussion and interest in our valuable urban park system."
The Mayor's Office will be on site educating citizens on programs to turn vacant lots into community green assets and tree-steward work shops. Programs such as the Mayor's Green Up initiative have transformed more than 50 blighted lots Citywide into community parks or gardens.
Extending their partnership with City government, following the recent bike/ped initiative announcement, Bike Pittsburgh will offer free "valet" bike parking in the park spaces from 9-5 p.m.
"PARK(ing) Day helps us re-imagine the use of our streets," said Councilman Dowd. "In other cities, this event has been a proving ground for innovative forms of recreation. Our PARK(ing) Day will generate the sort of ideas that make Pittsburgh a magnet for urban living."
Locally, the Riverlife Taskforce spearheaded this year’s event, bringing National Park(ing) Day to Pittsburgh.
Lisa Schroeder, Riverlife’s executive director, offered praise for the project, "What an exciting, innovative and 'young' project this has been! I'm proud of the imagination, creativity, time and effort that has gone into bringing Park(ing) Day to Pittsburgh. The project offers a whole new way to look at what parks can be for the city of Pittsburgh. Ways that can be whimsical but can also speak to profound environmental wins for the future of the city."
Maps of each participating park spot are available at each Park(ing) Day green site. For more information on National Park(ing) Day in Pittsburgh, visit their website (
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