Park(ing) Day: Citizens transform parking area to raise awareness of space used by parked vehicles

In observance of Park(ing) Day, a group of artists and community members created a curbside sitting area Friday in Eugene to draw attention to the amount of public areas set aside for car parking. 

The idea was launched in 2005, encouraging people across the world to temporarily repurpose street parking spaces into tiny parks and places for art, play and activism. 

Concerned community members in Eugene applied for a small grant a few weeks ago. Using the slogan "This Land Is Your Land," Helen Liu created artwork and the group took over several parking spots on Pearl Street with the blessing of nearby Palace Bakery.  

Organizer Andrea Plesnarski, who is a member of the Active Transportation Board for the city of Eugene, said, "It really speaks to the question of how people want to use their urban spaces."

The event will continue until 5 p.m. Friday.

Contact photographer Chris Pietsch at chris.pietsch@registerguard.com, or follow him on Twitter @ChrisPietsch and Instagram @chrispietsch. Want more stories like this? Subscribe to get unlimited access and support local journalism.