How did we unpave a parking space and put up a park in downtown Fort Lauderdale? Some serious sweat equity, a good game of phone tag with City officials and about $130.

Not bad right? That’s what we thought. So on September 16, 2011, Cadence set out to be the change we want to see. If we want the City of Fort Lauderdale to offer more creative, innovative, inspiring and enjoyable outdoor spaces and activities….who better to make it a reality than us? It’s our job to lead by example. That’s why we decided to share our park with the public.

In cities all over our nation, others just like us took to the streets and reclaimed parking spaces as temporary parks for the day. Originally invented in 2005 by Rebar, a San Francisco-based art and design studio, PARK(ing) Day challenges people to rethink the way streets are used and reinforces the need for broad-based changes to urban infrastructure. PARK(ing) Day is about re-imagining the possibilities of the urban landscape.

A few items our (PARK) included:
several chairs
assorted potted plants
2 trees
umbrella
interactive drawing wall
a table, bench and living wall (repurposed from shipping pallets)

 

Everyone who happened upon the space did stop and stare, but only a brave few asked “what it this?” or actually stepped into the space. Comments we overheard and observed:

We had a great response to the day and even made the headlines at the Sun Sentinel. Make sure to look for a bigger and better PARK(ing) Day in 2012. Nothing great is ever accomplished alone. We’d like to thank everyone who came out to enjoy the space and helped us spread the word about the event. If you’re interested in learning more or participating next year, get in touch with us or weigh in below.

And a special thanks to:
REBAR | Matthew Passmore
Eco Simplista | Derek Shambora and Dana Shambora Dozier
Garden Works | Brian Hall
SproutSavvy | Beth Swanson
Jason Arnold Photography
Landscape Forms and GAP | Jessica Stanley
AlternaScapes, Inc. | J.B. Carter
Sarah DelNegri
ParkingDay.org | Reclaim Your City
Sun Sentinel | Laura C. Morel
NBC Miami
And last but not least, The City of Fort Lauderdale Parking and Fleet Services