International Park(ing) Day in Beirut (Photo by Emily O'Dell)
Today, I walked by a number of students setting turf, grass, and plants down in the parking spots of one of the busiest sections of Beirut. When I asked them what they were doing, they said they were aiming to turn as many parking spots as possible into mini-parks for International Park(ing) Day–a day devoted to artists, designers and citizens from around the world transforming metered parking spots into temporary public parks.
In the past, some participants have planted mini-urban farms for a day, opened a free bike repair shop, offered a mini free health clinic, and even hosted a wedding ceremony–all in the small confines of a parking space.
PARK(ing) Day is “intended to promote creativity, civic engagement, critical thinking, unscripted social interactions, generosity and play.” The students participating today in Beirut looked like they were having a great time creating their mini-green spaces, and it was a delightful surprise to see some grass being laid on the road on my walk home from work…
Grass Grows in Beirut (Photo by Emily O'Dell)
