Agencies join together to transform downtown Silver Spring parking space into a temporary, pop-up parklet at the corner of Fenton Street and Wayne Avenue from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
SILVER SPRING, MD – Montgomery Parks, the Montgomery County Planning Department part of the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) and Montgomery County Department of Transportation invite the public to celebrate PARK(ing) Day on September 18, 2015 by transforming a parking space in downtown Silver Spring into a temporary pop-up park. The parklet will be located at the corner of Fenton Street and Wayne Avenue and will feature plants, seating, and the bean bag toss game, Cornhole. People may stop by and enjoy the open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
PARK(ing) Day is an annual event held on the third Friday in September; cities around the globe celebrate it to encourage discussion around issues related to urban infrastructure including the role of open space, transit and the environment. In addition to the fun nature of the event, PARK(ing) Day provides an opportunity for cultural expression, socializing and play. Although this project is temporary, the broader goal is encourage people to get more involved in the civic process to promote more urban open space, influence how public space is created, and improve the quality of urban areas.
“PARK(ing) Day is an opportunity to provoke people’s thinking about what they are giving up for a parking space,” says Casey Anderson, Chair of the Montgomery County Planning Board. “Every time we dedicate a chunk of land for parking, that is space not available for a park or an open space. Through this event, we want to raise awareness and ask people to think about more efficient ways to arrange parking to accommodate other amenities.”
The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) and the Planning Department will also show on Park(ing) Day just how many bicycles can be accommodated in a bike corral rather than a typical sidewalk rack. The bike corral, on loan from the District of Columbia Department of Transportation, will show that eight bicycles can fit for every one parking space. Bike corrals are especially useful in areas with narrow sidewalks or areas heavily trafficked by pedestrians, where it would be impractical or obstructive to install a sidewalk rack. Installing more bike corrals around the County has been part of the discussion during the kickoff meetings of the Bicycle Master Plan. This plan will provide recommendations on improving connectivity and bicycle facilities throughout the County.
About PARK(ing) Day:
PARK(ing) Day was invented in 2005 by Rebar, a San Francisco-based art and design studio to invite people to rethink the way streets are used and to promote discussion around the need for broad-based changes to urban infrastructure. Since its inception, the event has grown rapidly and in 2011 included 975 “Park” installations in more than 160 cities on six continents. PARK(ing) Day is an “open-source” project initiated by Rebar, but built by independent groups around the globe who adapt the project to advance creative, social or political causes that are relevant to their urban conditions.