Chattanooga Has Fun 2.5

On September 17, 2010, the Chattanooga community has a unique opportunity to participate in PARK(ing) Day, an annual open-source global event that celebrates public space by temporarily transforming urban parking spaces in creative and innovative ways for the low cost of a few coins in a parking meter.

This year, CreateHere is teaming up with Outdoor Chattanooga to host and facilitate PARK(ing) Day.  Businesses, organizations, individuals, creatives, and engaged community members are all encouraged to participate and to attend a free, informational meeting this Friday, September 3, from 9-10 AM at CreateHere.  Coffee and donuts will be served and all ideas—partial or fully realized—will be welcomed and valued.

“PARK(ing) Day gives us the opportunity to demonstrate how more urban green space would make an indelible impact on the way we live, work, and play in Chattanooga and across the country,” says Helen Davis Johnson, Co-Founder and Creative Strategist at CreateHere.  “We’re one of many cities participating and we get to demonstrate the local flavor, personality, and imagination we have in Chattanooga as it pertains to urban green space.”

PARK(ing) Day began in San Francisco in 2005 when an art and design studio named Rebar transformed a single metered parking space into a temporary public park in a section of the city that was lacking public space.  Many other cities have joined in on this annual event since then and September 17 will mark Chattanooga’s third year of participation.

Less than two weeks ago CreateHere hosted City R&D, a summit of forty of Chattanooga’s best and brightest minds that focused on issues of connectivity in the city.  One of four primary discussions at City R&D was the use of public parking areas to generate interest in the local economy and to build community.

The mission of PARK(ing) Day, as stated on parkingday.org, fits perfectly with this vision: “to call attention to the need for more urban open space, to generate critical debate around how public space is created and allocated, and to improve the quality of urban human habitat.”

For more information about PARK(ing) Day and to read about its inspiring history, visit http://parkingday.org.  To participate in Chattanooga’s PARK(ing) Day or for more information about CreateHere, visit http://createhere.org or email info@createhere.org.