Monterey PARK(ing) Day will feature parklets downtown

MONTEREY >> Parking spaces in Monterey will transform Friday into parklets in celebration of PARK(ing) Day.

Monterey will celebrate the international community event on Alvarado Street between Franklin and Pearl streets from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday, inviting several city offices and departments including the city clerk’s office, city manager’s office, Monterey Fire’s Community Emergency Response Team, forestry, harbor, library, parks, police, recreation, streets, and the Sports Center.

During the annual event people transform parking spots into temporary public parks and social spaces to demonstrate and advocate for safer, greener, and more playful streets for people according to a press release from the city. It’s an opportunity for the city to reimagine parking spaces the release said, for an entertaining and creative way and connect with the community.

These mini parklets will feature green spaces, outdoor seating and educational booths from city departments. The goal is to raise awareness about the need for more urban, open spaces.

Dating back to 2005, the first PARK(ing) Day started in San Francisco when Rebar Art and Design Studio transformed a single-metered parking area into a temporary public space. Today, the organization is celebrating more than 15 years of global PARK(ing) day installations and is partnering with the Parking Reform Network.

Monterey hopped onboard in 2008 and has been participating ever since.

“We invite everyone to come downtown and meet staff from a wide variety of divisions in a feel-good, fun, festive Friday atmosphere,” said Monterey City Manager Hans Uslar in the press release. “It’s a great way to take a brief break from the normal routine and enjoy the community atmosphere that supports less vehicles and more open space.”

The event is international and will happen across the world this weekend with the same goal of promoting public, outdoor space.