Expressions: Park(ing) Day

By Fauzia Sadiq Garcia 

Twenty years ago, when the San Francisco-based design studio Rebar bought out a street parking meter for the day, they couldn’t have imagined that their initiative to reclaim urban space from vehicles would become a global phenomenon. Park(ing) Day has gone on to create space for art, activism, and cultural expression across the world1.  

Philadelphia celebrated its first Park(ing) Day in 2008 and the annual event has since been embraced throughout the city. Typically, participants team up to form a group or an organization might choose an initiative to showcase. Participants include architects, engineers, advocacy groups, community organizations, and government agencies. It’s quite impactful to have people pause from their busy day to interact with the installations and signal their appreciation for more urban green space. We’ve included some installations from 2023 and 2024, and hope they will inspire you to sign up!  

This year’s Park(ing) Day is scheduled for September 19, 2025. The organization has partnered with Parking Reform Network, an activist and policy group promoting equitable and sustainable management of parking resources. Get involved and stay informed by visiting parkingdayphila.org/participate. 

CITATION  
1. www.myparkingday.org/about 

PHOTO CAPTIONS: 

Top: JKRP Architecture; Above: JDavis Architects, PhillyCAM; Right: Petit Jardin en Ville; Below right: Stantec; Below: Spiezle Architectural Group 

Top left: KSS Architects; Above: Stantec; Below: AECOM, Facility & Design Resource, Inc.; Below, middle: KRP Architecture; Bottom: SMP Architects 

PHOTOS: KENDON PHOTOGRAPHY