EDMONDS — Edmonds will join Seattle, San Francisco and Everett in making a stand for more green space and less pavement.
Starting at 9 a.m. Sept. 17, five merchants will each turn a single parking space in front of their downtown Edmonds stores into a mini park to celebrate Park(ing) Day.
Park(ing) Day is meant to cause reflection on how urban space is used and spotlight ways to reclaim space for pedestrians. The project began in 2005, when a San Francisco art and design studio converted a metered parking spot into a temporary park. Last year’s international effort claimed 700 parks in 140 cities in 21 countries across six continents.
This year social media, including Facebook and Twitter, have been put to work spreading the international news virally.
“It’s just silly, good fun and it will put Edmonds on the map with something different,” said Stacy Gardea, the Edmonds resident spearheading the effort. “The merchants are coming up with their own ideas of taking a piece of concrete and making it into a green space, taking space away from cars if just for a little while.”
Gardea, a Sherwood Forest neighborhood resident, was approached to lead the effort since she is on the city’s parking committee.
“This event also focuses us on utilizing what we have in our parks and recreation options,” Gardea said. “Edmonds has many great small neighborhood parks. This should bring some of that fun into downtown as people come and walk the streets and see what the city has to offer.”
“Park(ing) Day should appeal to a ‘green’ crowd,” she said.
Gardea wants the 2011 event to expand to more park(ing) spaces.
For more information, visit parkingday.org.
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