Park(ing) Day Park
Compost, plants, repurposed materials. Public intervention for annual International PARK(ing) Day. Limerick, Ireland. September 20th 2013.
Every Year, for PARK(ing) Day, artists, activists, and citizens transform metered parking spaces into temporary public parks and other social spaces.
Invented in 2005 by Rebar, a San Francisco-based art and design studio, PARK(ing) Day invites people to rethink the way streets are used, and promotes discussion around the need for broad-based changes to urban infrastructure. “Urban inhabitants worldwide recognize the need for new approaches to making cities,” says Rebar principal, Matthew Passmore. He continues, “The planning strategies that have led to traffic congestion, pollution, and poor health in cities everywhere do not reflect contemporary values, nor are they sustainable. PARK(ing) Day raises these issues and demonstrates that even temporary projects can improve the character and quality of the city.”
A space on Limerick’s O’Connell Street became part of this global phenomenon by becoming an eco-park for four hours one Friday afternoon. The park featured upcycled garden furniture and planters made by the South Limerick Residents Association, as part of the Wildroutes Project. The space was transformed into a park and open-air exhibition area for objects that promote biodiversity and waste prevention while becoming a public space for dialogue regarding the above issues in Limerick City.