Park(ing) Day
Posted: May 15th, 2009 | Author: Karolijn | Filed under: London, Why I Hate London | Tags: London, Why I Hate London | 4 Comments »This was just brought to my attention by James Kingsley and I think it needs to be shouted from the rooftops.
PARK(ing) Day is an annual, one-day, global event where artists, activists, and citizens collaborate to temporarily transform metered parking spots into “PARK(ing)” spaces: temporary public parks.
Anyone can participate in PARK(ing) Day, though it is strictly a non-commercial project, intended to promote creativity, civic engagement, critical thinking, unscripted social interactions, generosity and play.
London has an overwhelming car-culture that strikes fear into pedestrians, cyclists and other vulnerable road users alike. Public transit is underused and (therefore) underfunded, relegated only to the untouchables of the city that aren’t invincible in their SUVs.
It’s definitely a problem. However urban sprawl isn’t just a phenomenon here, it’s a way of life. Box store hell is the place to be – with stores spread so far apart people drive from store to store. I’m not sure when malls became so untrendy. Some of the major shopping centres are completely (or unreasonably) inaccessible by transit and the city is spread thin by all the ‘little boxes all the same’.
It’s already a huge problem to get around in downtown London by car. The lights are synchronized such that every light seems red and drivers – in their frustration – make it worse. A few weeks ago it took an hour to drive from Masonville Place to the 401 via downtown. An HOUR. To travel 14km.
So instead of reclaiming the parking spots in urban centres, I propose that London needs Park(ing) Day in boxstore hell. I suspect that most boxstore hell lots are private-property so it wouldn’t last long.
Any thoughts as to how to bring this to where it is releveat to London?
That’s really rad. I have to read that site more to see how one goes about doing this.
I just check out the website regarding this project and I like the idea but there are a couple issues to be raised before any city (not just London) takes part in this.
Is it legal (say in London) to occupy a space with something other than a vehicle?
Can you occupy the space for longer than the 2 hours max.?
What about the safety of the people using these parks? Cones and ropes might not make people safe.
Does the municipal government need to be on board with this for it to take place?
I like the idea of making a beach in one of the spots. This is something that I’ve been part of before, dumping sand and “installing” a kiddy pool for a temporary Oasis.
I read about this quite a while ago on the ‘Action Ideas’ page of the World Carfree Network site (http://www.worldcarfree.net/resources/action_ideas.php). You should check it out because there’s some great ideas there that have been festering in my cranium like crazy
I *strongly* suspect that trying to green an on-street parking spot in London would get an almost immediate response from London Police Service in the form of an obstruction charge or something similar. I’ve sometimes had them try to simply remove me from a location when they understood that I was engaged in a political action, but it really depends upon the understanding and empathy of the responding officers. If you’re going to do it you should be prepared to be arrested and to pay a price for your convictions.
You might like to approach a Council committee to see if some kind of accomodation could be arranged. If that sounds like something you’d like to consider you’re welcome to ask me for assistance.
Citations below are to the City of London’s Traffic & Parking By-law (PS-111 – Consolidated – May 4, 2009):
http://london.ca/d.aspx?s=/By-laws/traffic_and_parking.htm
I suggest having at least two bicycles[1, definition] handy in order to swap them for each period of parking of maximum duration two hours in the downtown core[45, parking overtime].
A vehicle, such as a bicycle, appears to be the only way we could restrict/control the parking of other vehicles [49, unauthorized devices]. Therefore, the use of cones is questionable. Since just one vehicle is authorized to use a parking space at a time (other than motorcycles [40(3)]) we will want to use a vehicle which is not a motorcycle to exclude others from using the parking space [40, one vehicle in parking space].
The meter must be paid for the bicycle because we would not be using the “free parking in bicycle rack” exemption [41(3)].
I found three important caveats:
1. Don’t double park [1, definitions]. We should have one bicycle parallel to the curb at any point in time. I suggest doing so as far from the curb as possible but within the marked parking space. This should exclude other vehicles from using that parking space the best.
2. Be careful how the adjacent side walk is used because “30. No person shall use any sidewalk for any purpose other than pedestrian traffic, except as specifically permitted by this or any other by-law.” [30, Use of Sidewalk]
3. A police officer can request the owner/operator of a vehicle remove it “when traffic congestion, proximity to a fire or any other condition renders the removal of such vehicle expedient” [22(2), Obstructing Traffic] I expect that meighbouring motor vehicles would not be removed. Therefore, photo/Video evidence of our neighbouring parking spaces containing motor vehicles would be useful evidence that the removal of our bicycle was not expedient since any vehicles next to ours would not be removed.