PARK(ing) Day is an annual event where people, artists and activists worldwide transform parking spaces into temporary public spaces.
It is held each year on the third Friday in September and is a fantastic chance for the community to reconsider how public space typically used for parking can be re-purposed as urban open space for people.
As architects, we appreciate that there is a great deal of competition for the use of urban spaces. As builders, we also understand that certain occupations require people to store and move bulky tools, necessitating access to parking. Our relocation to Darlington was partially catalysed by our office and site staff receiving a collective $3500 in parking fines over the course of a year at our previous location.
Ironically, the all-day parking which attracted us to the area changed to 1hr parking a month after we moved. Director Clinton Cole used the parking tickets received (and paid!) over the last few years to wrap his Smart Car as a PARK(ing) Day installation.
The installation was accompanied by the whole CplusC office moving outside to soak up the spring sun and socialising with the curious public as they strolled past. Our outdoor office (or perhaps BBQ) also caught the attention of our neighbouring businesses and we hope to see them parked out with their synthetic turf next year.
