PARK(ing) Day Tucson returns on Friday, Sept. 17. According to the press release, you'd better reserve your spot by Sept. 15:

Providing temporary public open space . . . one parking spot at a time. The 3rd Annual PARK(ing) Day Tucson is Sept. 17.

PARK(ing) Day Tucson returns this year to the historic Downtown, Main Gate, and 4th Avenue entertainment districts Sept. 17 from 8am to 5pm. Groups and individuals are invited to participate.

More than 80 urban parking spots were transformed into fun, quirky and creative public spaces at last year’s PARK(ing) Day. Thirty groups participated to congregate, socialize, and play.

PARK(ing) Day is an annual, worldwide event where citizens, activists, and artists transform metered parking spots into temporary public spaces. It began in 2005 by a San Francisco art and design studio called Rebar that transformed a single metered parking spot into a park. The idea soon garnered wide-spread attention and became a global event with the mission of calling attention to the need for more urban open space, generating critical debate around how public space is created and allocated, and improving the quality of urban human habitat.

Tucson had one of the highest levels of public participation in the world in 2009, according to Rebar.

To reserve a PARK(ing) space, contact ParkWise before Sept. 15 at (520) 791-5071. Downtown metered spaces are $4.50 and Main Gate metered spaces cost $9 for the whole day. There is no charge for PARK(ing) on 4th Avenue. Participants will need to pick their space, conceptualize, and plan their PARK(ing) installation.

PARK(ing) Day Tucson is coordinated locally by the City of Tucson ParkWise.
Original concept by Rebar.www.rebargroup.org.

Contact: Teresa Vasquez, ParkWise, (520) 791-5071, teresa@downtowntucson.org.