Putting the 'park' into parking (International Park(ing) Day)

http://www.scmp.com/video

A group of university students have taken on a peculiar project called Park-in Process, where a parking spot is transformed into a temporary public park. It is intended to promote creativity, civic engagement as well as simply 'playing'.

It stems from International Park(ing) Day where people from 100 cities turn parking spots into "human friendly" spaces for a day. The group brought astroturf, a tree, benches, food and board games and whiled their afternoon while curious onlookers walked by on one side, and frustrated drivers on the other.

But after a few hours of 'parking' themselves on Granville Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, police arrived on scene due to a complaint. What ensued between the police and students was a complex yet humorous debate about the use of public spaces.

一群大學生發起名為PARK(ing)的行動，將停車場臨時改造成公園，希望鼓勵大眾發揮創意和參與，並宣揚「玩樂」的真正趣味。

這個意念來自International Park(ing) Day。每逢這一天，來自一百個城市的參與者就會將停車場改造成休憩空間，為期一日。他們會為停車場鋪上人工草皮，放置樹木、長椅，並帶來各種食物和棋類遊戲，消磨一個下­午。不時有好奇的路人在旁張望，司機則為無處泊車而苦惱不已。

本港大學生則選擇將尖沙咀加連威老道一個停車場改造公園。幾小時後，警察因收到投訴而來到現場，和學生就如何使用公共空間，進行了一場既複雜又有趣的辯論。

For more information: http://www.parkingday.org

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• scmp
• hong
• kong
• park(ing)
• day
• park-in
• process
• green
• environmental
• activism
• urban
• 2009
• china
• police
• city
• international
• public
• space

[ummaou]

Finally, the stupid woman who strikes for clean air with a cardboard, pls go to talk to PRC govt, ask PRC govt to move away all plants in the southern China. Factories are the real cause to the air pollution, one factory may equal to 100 vehicals in HK.

[ummaou]

Young men and women, In HK, as far as I know, even u have paid to park your vehicle, it doesn't mean you are entitled to use the parking space continuously. To avoid the parking space being occupied by the same vehicle, police still has the right to give u a ticket even u have paid. Moreover, to fight for the grassland, you should go to the nearest park, Kowloon Park which is just 10 mins on foot from where u are, not on the street. Where they have grassland but not open to the public.

[emilyjo37]

Love this. These guys should check out the guerrilla gardening movement - I'd love to see a HK chapter up and running!

[filination]

Brilliant. I'd be happy to join the students next time (@filination)

[MerrinPearse]

Absolutely superb! How do the Police justify closing Central Hong Kong Island streets on Sundays for people to use as seating rather car parks and road? Love to see more creative ideas like this.

[jonrstanley]

Bravo. Seems the car of the couple whom got their knickers in such a twist, have car registration "HH 9915" (@2:13), the same car when the police threatened court action (@6:04). If this was mainland China, the human flesh search engines would have been unleashed!

[bldrnr2006]

Typical Hong Kong. Not surprising that an obnoxious couple made a complaint and got the HK officials involved. HK officials are very good at substituting actual law with mumblings about "danger". Give me a break.

[gwtl301]

great way of inspiring ppl in the idea of putting more public open space in the hong kong city! great work guys :-]

[kentso1983]

this is great.

[zombiehellmonkey]

Sounds good fun.