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57 Temporary Parks Come to Dallas!

Area citizens showcase community possibilities with transformed parking spaces

Dallas, Texas, September 19, 2012 — The streets of downtown Dallas will be temporarily transformed on Friday, September 21st as the city celebrates International PARK(ing) Day, a community-focused event that challenges the definition of public space. 42 groups will create spaces for fun and social interaction along Main Street (between St Paul and Griffin) and Harwood Street (at Bryan) from 11:00am–7:00pm. Utilizing permitted on-street parking spaces, citizens are challenged to create welcoming “PARKS” that propose or demonstrate non-commercial ideas of what they’d like to see as part of the public space that defines this community. Temporary in nature, these spaces revert back to vehicle parking after several hours.

This year’s “PARKS” are free and open to the public and will include yoga spaces, reading lounges, pop-up museums, art installations and other social areas for downtown residents, visitors and employees to enjoy. Entertainment organized by Deep Dallas Music will showcase local musicians in three performance spaces along Main Street.

PARK(ing) Day was developed in 2005 as a guerilla art project by Rebar and has spread from its origin in San Francisco to over 160 cities around the world (all participating on the same day). The grassroots project has been adapted by independent groups to champion creative, social or political causes relevant to individual communities. The event was brought to downtown Dallas in 2011 by area residents with a mission to be a forum for constructive change; local organizations are encouraged to partner with design talent and advocacy groups to showcase creativity and produce community-enhancing spaces.