Happening now: PARKing Day – come play in the ‘park for a day’

First temporary “park” we found set up for PARKing Day in West Seattle is this one in front of Wyatt’s Jewelers (WSB sponsor) at Westwood Village – you can sit down and relax, or play bean-bag toss:

Things were a little delayed for a couple of parks, including Mind Unwind in the Admiral District, which had a delay, ironic as it was, because someone had parked right in front of the no-parking signs. However, they’ve now tweeted they’re up and running – go hang out and make art!

@westseattleblog @MindUnwindOrg we are finally set up :) pic.twitter.com/XB2PQXZ9qc

— Mind Unwind (@MindUnwindOrg) September 20, 2013

Mind Unwind is at 2206 California SW. More to come!

MrB September 20, 2013 (1:56 pm)

Our tax dollars at work. Sigh.

Mike September 20, 2013 (3:04 pm)

Not sure I fully understand why they’d do this. “Common down and throw a beanbag, then sit in a chair in the road”. Not sure it’s a wise marketing gimmick.

WSB September 20, 2013 (3:27 pm)

Clearly we have done a horrible job of explaining PARKing Day … more like, not explaining it. It’s not a marketing gimmick. It’s not a government-initiated program. It’s part of an international initiative that’s been happening for a few years now, though West Seattle had no participants the past couple years. It’s meant to be a symbolic, fun thing to do, for a scant few hours one day a year, to show what might be possible with public spaces in urban areas. Even something as simple as stretch out some green carpet – pretend grass, though we’ve seen past instances with real (albeit temporary) turf – and show that even saving a square here and a square there is worth something. The official international description: “PARK(ing) Day is an annual, worldwide event where artists, activists, and citizens independently (but simultaneously) turn metered parking spots into “PARK(ing)” spaces: temporary public parks and other spaces for people to enjoy. PARK(ing) Day is a non-commercial project, intended to promote creativity, civic engagement, critical thinking, unscripted social interactions, generosity and play.”
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http://parkingday.org/frequently-asked-questions
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(We have no public metered spaces in West Seattle, so toss out the word ‘metered’ in this case.)

Q September 20, 2013 (3:09 pm)

There’s still plenty of sprawl left in the Midwest if you don’t like living in the city.

Bellvy September 20, 2013 (3:40 pm)

Thanks to Wyatt Jewelers and Mind Unwind for supporting the idea that PEOPLE live in our city!

Jissy September 20, 2013 (3:47 pm)

Yeah, I don’t get it.

Wilson September 20, 2013 (5:00 pm)

You go Cait!! Some serious Debbie Downers on this thread

WSB September 20, 2013 (5:06 pm)

Maybe next year we’ll ask to borrow a space at somebody’s bricks-and-mortar facility and put one up ourselves. Would be a fun place to work for the day :)

RJB September 23, 2013 (4:53 pm)

I love this, this has been going on for atleast 5 years or so, people get really creative!! There have been great ‘PARKing spaces” up on Cap. Hill and other areas in the city….

Sorry, comment time is over.