Park[ing] Day LA: Create Your Own Park

Who: You and "a diverse constituency of community groups, neighborhood councils, design & architecture firms, professional organizations, non-profits, cyclists & pedestrian advocates," according to Park[ing] Day LA's official website.

What: Park[ing] Day participants are going to transform parking spaces and parking lots into mini-parks or "pocket-parks" for all Angelenos to enjoy for a day.

When/Where: Friday, September 17 is when Park[ing] Day LA's partner organizations are setting up along Wilshire Boulevard, the Silver Lake/Echo Park neighborhood, Santa Monica, Culver City, Hollywood, Downtown LA, and near the USC campus (check the map). On Saturday, September 18, Park[ing] Day LA encourages all other community groups and park advocates to create and register their own parks.

How: Check out the registered parking lot parks or create your own here. Be careful though - while the site says volunteers will be "feeding the meter" for the mini-parks, they also acknowledge that "feeding the meter is illegal" and anyone who wants to be more than just a passerby needs to be prepared for potential engagement with "motorists, members of the press, city leadership and yes, even the authorities" - in a respectful dialogue, of course.

Why: Why are Park[ing] Day LA participants prepared to endure the potential wrath of commuters, shoppers, and residents who are just looking for a place to park? To spark dialogue and debate about the fact that LA has "only 10% of the recommended 8-10 acres of parks and open space for every 1000 residents." Hopefully the event will also encourage Angelenos to want something more for their city and spark the imaginations of officials who have the power to do something about it.