Editor’s Note: Meant to make us think a little about the uses of public space, Park(ing) Day 2012 is the fifth annual Philadelphia version of the event, which began in 2005 in San Francisco. This year 49 teams from design firms, city agencies, and advocacy organizations signed up to create 59 mini-parks out of what are on every other day of the year parking spaces. Not all of the groups followed through on their plans, but photographer Dominic Mercier checked in with more than a dozen ephemeral civic spaces and returned with the photos below.
1600 block of Walnut St. | Photo: Dominic Mercier
Broad St. between Walnut and Locust | Photo: Dominic Mercier
17th and Market St. | Photo: Dominic Mercier
12th St. between Market and Arch | Photo: Dominic Mercier
1300 block of Walnut St.
1300 block of Walnut St. | Photo: Dominic Mercier
16th and Arch | Photo: Dominic Mercier
16th and Arch | Photo: Dominic Mercier
1500 block of Market St. | Photo: Dominic Mercier
800 block of Walnut St. | Photo: Dominic Mercier
600 block of Chestnut St. | Photo: Dominic Mercier
1500 block of Walnut St. | Photo: Dominic Mercier
1900 block of Walnut St. | Photo: Dominic Mercier
700 block of Chestnut St. | Photo: Dominic Mercier
Just what Philadelphia needs – fewer places to park. PC silliness at best.
Exactly what Philly NEEDS! A few less cars in CC!
Contrary to popular opinion, we have an excellent transit system
and (slowly) growing bike lanes. Let’s make use of them.
Silly? Maybe, but it makes one think.
Good coverage of this from fellow HC contributor, Dominic Mercier.
“A few less cars” – no what the Bicycle Coalition and their Friends want is to get rid of cars, period.
In the meantime the suburbs continue to flourish – when was the last time anyone chose to shop in town rather than the malls?
This is awesome. Hopefully the city will start to reclaiming car space for everyone space.
I go downtown to shop all the time, using public transit. I can’t remember the last time I went to the mall, but it was years ago. The bike coalition isn’t coming to take anyone’s car away…
Thank you for posting. We had 6 spots, and 4 locations up in Germantown, and all were really well-attended and well received by the community. Looking forward to next year.