PARK(ING) Day :: Temporary Installations in Downtown Tampa

9.17.10

On Friday, September 17th, 2010, mini-parks will be sprouting up in parking spaces in Downtown Tampa as part of PARK(ING) DAY – an annual global event where parking spaces are transformed into parks for the day. These temporary park installations aim to transform urban environments designed for vehicle use into a communal space for public use, promote green initiatives, and bring awareness to civic processes and policies that directly impact our landscape and environment.

The Tampa Downtown Partnership, in conjunction with SuperTest, a local arts organization, has planned six PARK(ing) space installations located near the Franklin St. corridor in the Seven One Seven Parking lot bordered by Zack, Twiggs, Franklin, and Tampa Streets. The PARK(ing) installations location is designed to highlight the nearby independent businesses and promote civic engagement. Visitors will be encouraged to walk or bike to visit and relax in the Tampa PARK(ing) Day spaces. Park installations will be accessible from 11am – 7pm on Friday, September 17th.

Tampa PARK(ing) Day sites will be designed and installed by a variety of individual artists, Justin Martin, Greg LeSar and Timothy Gibbons, and organizations, including Tempus Projects, Prodigy Cultural Arts Program, Urban Charrette, and the Tampa Bay Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. In addition to places to simply sit and relax, participants are invited to engage creatively with the sites by making origami paper cranes or contribute to an ongoing collaborative work with a site-specific monument.

An after-party celebrating Tampa PARK(ing) Day will be held at Fly Bar and Restaurant, 1202 North Franklin Street, from 6-10 pm Friday, September 17th. The after-party will feature a slideshow with images of the day’s events and site installations. This event is open to the public.