JERSEY CITY – In cities around the globe tomorrow, artists, activists and citizens, and Hudson County Government, will temporarily transform metered parking spaces into public parks and other social spaces, as part of an annual event called "PARK(ing) Day."
Originally invented in 2005 by Rebar, a San Francisco art and design studio, PARK(ing) Day challenges people to rethink the way streets are used and reinforces the need for broad-based changes to urban infrastructure. “In urban centers around the world, inexpensive curbside parking results in increased traffic, wasted fuel and more pollution,” says Rebar’s Matthew Passmore. “The strategies that generated these conditions are not sustainable, nor do they promote a healthy, vibrant urban human habitat. PARK(ing) Day is about re-imagining the possibilities of the metropolitan landscape.”
Since 2005, the project has blossomed into a worldwide grassroots movement: PARK(ing) Day 2008 included more than 500 “PARK” installations in more than 100 cities on four continents. This year, the project continues to expand to urban centers across the globe, including first-time PARK installations in South Africa, Poland, Norway, New Zealand and South Korea. “Urban inhabitants worldwide recognize the need for new approaches to making the urban landscape,” says Rebar’s John Bela. “PARK(ing) Day demonstrates that even temporary or interim spatial reprogramming can improve the character of the city.”
Over the four years of PARK(ing) Day, participants have broadened the scope of PARK installations to fulfill a range of unmet social needs. “From public parks to free health clinics, from art galleries to demonstration gardens, PARK(ing) Day participants have claimed the metered parking space as a rich new territory for creative experimentation, activism, socializing and play,” says Blaine Merker of Rebar.
“While PARK(ing) Day may be temporary,” Merker adds, “the image of possibility it offers has lasting effects and is shifting the way streets are perceived and utilized.”
Here in Hudson County, the Hudson County Transportation Management Association (TMA), County Division of Planning and the Hudson County Improvement Authority (HCIA) have teamed up to create a Park(ing) Day space in front of the Historic William J. Brennan Court House. The installation, called “Hudson County Green” will be located next to the entrance to the building. It will showcase a host of fun and informative activities, including hopscotch hay bales and information about traffic-reducing commuting services provided by TMA. It will open about 10:30 a.m.
Hudson County Government, lead by County Executive Tom DeGise, has aggressively taken the lead in preserving open space and increasing and improving parks within our 12 municipalities. The DeGise Administration created the Hudson County Open Space Trust in 2003, which has helped increase the total amount of open space and parkland in our municipalities by nearly a third in just five years.
“We are pleased to take part in PARK(ing)Day 2009,” DeGise said. “While we need just about every space we have today in Journal Square— due of traffic patterns developed long ago, we think there is great value in taking back one on Park(ing) Day to highlight commuter solutions to reduce traffic and pollution.”
Hudson County is committed to promoting sustainable living and accomplishing the goal set out by the County Executive of planting 10,000 new shade trees along our county road system in the next ten years.
To encourage sustainability, the Division of Planning requires all applicants before the County Planning Board to implement green techniques that promote walking and bicycling and reduce the site’s impervious coverage. The County is currently looking for various ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by creating an alternate transportation system and promoting a “buy local” program.
While the County is hosting Northern New Jersey’s lone PARK(ing) Day event —there are a number of installations in New York City — the Division of Planning hopes to grow the event into all 12 Hudson Municipalities in 2010.
“We have decided to start small, with a single installation this year, and then hopefully be able to develop installations throughout the County,” said Megan Massey, who organized Hudson’s initial foray in to parking space greening for fun and public education for the Hudson County Division of Planning. “We hope the message of Hudson County Green will start residents thinking about the true price of a transportation system so heavily dependent on supposedly “cheap” parking.”
More information regarding local PARK(ing) Day activities can be found at http://theregalroom.blogspot.com and a global map of all participating cities is available on the PARK(ing) Day Network at http://my.parkingday.org.
Originally invented in 2005 by Rebar, a San Francisco art and design studio, PARK(ing) Day challenges people to rethink the way streets are used and reinforces the need for broad-based changes to urban infrastructure. “In urban centers around the world, inexpensive curbside parking results in increased traffic, wasted fuel and more pollution,” says Rebar’s Matthew Passmore. “The strategies that generated these conditions are not sustainable, nor do they promote a healthy, vibrant urban human habitat. PARK(ing) Day is about re-imagining the possibilities of the metropolitan landscape.”
Since 2005, the project has blossomed into a worldwide grassroots movement: PARK(ing) Day 2008 included more than 500 “PARK” installations in more than 100 cities on four continents. This year, the project continues to expand to urban centers across the globe, including first-time PARK installations in South Africa, Poland, Norway, New Zealand and South Korea. “Urban inhabitants worldwide recognize the need for new approaches to making the urban landscape,” says Rebar’s John Bela. “PARK(ing) Day demonstrates that even temporary or interim spatial reprogramming can improve the character of the city.”
Over the four years of PARK(ing) Day, participants have broadened the scope of PARK installations to fulfill a range of unmet social needs. “From public parks to free health clinics, from art galleries to demonstration gardens, PARK(ing) Day participants have claimed the metered parking space as a rich new territory for creative experimentation, activism, socializing and play,” says Blaine Merker of Rebar.
“While PARK(ing) Day may be temporary,” Merker adds, “the image of possibility it offers has lasting effects and is shifting the way streets are perceived and utilized.”
Here in Hudson County, the Hudson County Transportation Management Association (TMA), County Division of Planning and the Hudson County Improvement Authority (HCIA) have teamed up to create a Park(ing) Day space in front of the Historic William J. Brennan Court House. The installation, called “Hudson County Green” will be located next to the entrance to the building. It will showcase a host of fun and informative activities, including hopscotch hay bales and information about traffic-reducing commuting services provided by TMA. It will open about 10:30 a.m.
Hudson County Government, lead by County Executive Tom DeGise, has aggressively taken the lead in preserving open space and increasing and improving parks within our 12 municipalities. The DeGise Administration created the Hudson County Open Space Trust in 2003, which has helped increase the total amount of open space and parkland in our municipalities by nearly a third in just five years.
“We are pleased to take part in PARK(ing)Day 2009,” DeGise said. “While we need just about every space we have today in Journal Square— due of traffic patterns developed long ago, we think there is great value in taking back one on Park(ing) Day to highlight commuter solutions to reduce traffic and pollution.”
Hudson County is committed to promoting sustainable living and accomplishing the goal set out by the County Executive of planting 10,000 new shade trees along our county road system in the next ten years.
To encourage sustainability, the Division of Planning requires all applicants before the County Planning Board to implement green techniques that promote walking and bicycling and reduce the site’s impervious coverage. The County is currently looking for various ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by creating an alternate transportation system and promoting a “buy local” program.
While the County is hosting Northern New Jersey’s lone PARK(ing) Day event —there are a number of installations in New York City — the Division of Planning hopes to grow the event into all 12 Hudson Municipalities in 2010.
“We have decided to start small, with a single installation this year, and then hopefully be able to develop installations throughout the County,” said Megan Massey, who organized Hudson’s initial foray in to parking space greening for fun and public education for the Hudson County Division of Planning. “We hope the message of Hudson County Green will start residents thinking about the true price of a transportation system so heavily dependent on supposedly “cheap” parking.”
More information regarding local PARK(ing) Day activities can be found at http://theregalroom.blogspot.com and a global map of all participating cities is available on the PARK(ing) Day Network at http://my.parkingday.org.
