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It’s the most wonderful time of the year... if you’re a fan of tiny, community-generated parks. Park(ing) day, which allows citizens to transform parking spots into activated spaces, is this Friday, September 15.
Past years have included creative seating, chicken coops, a bowling lane, and a tea party—even a ball pit.
This year, the day features 47 installations throughout the city. Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) says different installations include “everything from arts and crafts to bike repair and snacks,” plus the perennial favorite—spots to sit and relax.
Seattle Department of Transportation has put together a map of all 47 locations, from Lake City to South Park. Unsurprisingly, there’s a dense belt around the center of the city in the downtown, Capitol Hill, First Hill, and Central Area region—including at least two bike repair stations.
But parks exist in stretches to the north and south, including a book exchange in Maple Leaf and a parklet featuring oversized games and “bike art” in Columbia City.
Many of the parks are put on by local businesses, like one by Dahlia Bakery featuring food, drinks, and a cake-decorating demonstration. A pop-up by Callus Cafe in Pioneer Square has clothing and free coffee.
And since PARKing Day is part of the Seattle Design Festival, many of the parklets have a design or architecture bent, including an interactive parklet (“The Common Thread”) by Via Architecture downtown, a parklet with food sculpture and outdoor games by Atelier Drome in Belltown, and one with an “interactive mapping feature” by Walker Macy in South Lake Union.
Other creative ideas: a short, single-day protected bike lane on Florentina near the Fremont Bridge, a Prince tribute in Fremont, and a screen-printing station in Ballard.
Parklets are up from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., although some aren’t scheduled to be up the whole day. See SDOT’s full map below.