PARK(ing) Day on La Brea

Mid City West Community Council board members hosted three neighborhood sites for PARK(ing) Day, the annual international event during which community members transform metered parking or parking spaces into temporary mini parks or parklets. The purpose of the day is to engage communities in re-imagining what their neighborhoods could look like if spaces for cars were transformed into spaces for people.  According to the American Society of Landscape Architects,  which has published a manual on how to participate in PARK(ing) Day, the vast majority of outdoor urban space is dedicated to the private vehicle, while only a fraction of our cities’ land is allocated to open space for people.

Mid City West board members Thao Tran, who also serves on the council Streetscape and Commerical Committee, and Will Hackner were posted on La Brea (in between parked cars) from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., in front of the newly opened Roji Bakery (more on this delightful new bakery soon) at 807 S La Brea. They assembled a small “park” complete with shade, green “grass,” inflatable toys and garden furniture.

“We just had two weeks to pull this together,” explained Tran, saying she hopes to get more people involved next year. “It’s a great way to get involved in the neighborhood, and we were delighted to help create some buzz for our local businesses like Roji Bakery.”

Along with the Melrose Business Improvement District, Mid City West also hosted a park space at Toasted and Roasted at 7311 Melrose Avenue, as well as a space at LA Chankla, at 5354 Wilshire Blvd.

“This is an annual opportunity to present an alternative city, one in which space is taken back by communities from the automobile and used instead for people,” said Scott Epstein, Chair of the Mid City West Community Council.

International PARK(ing) Day is celebrated on the Third Friday of September. Check out the The American Society of Landscape Architects manual on how to participate and plan your own neighborhood PARK(ing) Day next year.