park(ing) day la movement lushes up downtown
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Today is Park(ing) Day LA, a citywide effort launched last year by environmental activists (as part of a larger national campaign) demonstrating the need for more urban green space by transforming car lots into makeshift pocket parks for a day.
Curbsides and paved areas across LA County will be dressed up with potted plants, astro turf or even green carpet to make the statement. Last September, an unused triangular lot at 3rd and Traction in the Arts District (pictured, left) got a lot of attention when sod patches were brought in to cover its oil stained asphalt.
This morning about a dozen similar temporary parks are expected to pop up around Downtown (click for map) — some with permits, others not — but all calling for a pedestrian resource that our neighborhoods glaringly lack.
One of the larger events taking place today is a block party hosted by DLANC and community leaders on Winston Street between Main and Werdin in the Historic Core. It is scheduled to run from 10:00am to 3:00pm and include a temporary dog park, live mural art, band performances and a Skid Row league basketball game.
Photo credit: fickr user fredcamino.
6 comments
How convenient…10 am to 3 pm, to totally avoid the “anti-gridlock” zoning. To make it more noticeable and really make a point, how about the whole day?
It’s downtown. It’s not supposed to have green spaces.
exciting…I had no idea. Thanks!
How about all the people generating all this energy, gas, trash, and hot air actually direct their efforts into getting real parks. I’ve not seen too many of them at City Hall and at Parks meetings.
gotta agree with Paul. If you want grass, move to the ‘burbs. Wanting acres of greenspace in an urban setting is like wanting water that won’t make you wet if you dump a bucket of it on you.
“It’s downtown. It’s not supposed to have green spaces.”
Hmm, that must be why there are no parks in New York City.