Get Ready for National Park(ing) Day

As you look through your rearview window tomorrow (Friday, Sept. 19), you might be surprised to see a little more greenery popping up around your city. That's because it's National Park(ing) Day, an event sponsored by the Trust for Public Land (TPL). Last year's National Park(ing) Day was a huge success, with more than 200 new parks in 50 cities. This year stands to surpass that, creating more than 400 temporary parks in over 70 cities across the U.S. During NPD, parking spots are transformed into parks by average citizens using a variety of creative methods: sod, benches, umbrellas, and potted plants and trees. These parks become a place to read, knit, go online, or just escape from a busy day.

TPL believes that "by turning parking spaces into instant parks, National Park(ing) Day creatively demonstrates how much our cities need parks," said Will Rogers, TPL president. "Across America, cities are renewing their investments in parks, because civic leaders have come to recognize that close-to-home parks, gardens, and playgrounds are essential if we are to have cities that aren't just livable, but lovable."

Whether you are involved in creating your own park or just enjoying what the new park in your city has to offer, we'd love to see your photos!

Have fun and submit your photos to Weird Weather Watch Signs of the Times here.

UPDATE From Park(ing)Day 2008

Park(ing) Day 2008 Office Park(ing) sponsored by HR&A

The "park" in front of the Museum of Modern Art, New York City

Check out the 2007 Park(ing) Day flipbook here.

Participating Cities:

Albuquerque, NM

Atlanta, GA

Ardmore, PA

Austin, TX

Bakersfield, CA

Birch Run, MI

Boulder, CO

Boston, MA

Charleston, SC

Charlotte, NC

Chattanooga, TN

Chicago, IL

Cincinnati, OH

College Station, TX

Costa Mesa, CA

Columbus, OH

Dallas, TX

Denver, CO

Des Moines, IW

Eugene, OR

Flint, MI

Goleta, CA

Grand Rapids, MI

Hillsboro, OR

Hollywood, FL

Honolulu, HI

Ithaca, NY

Irvine, CA

Jacksonville, FL

Kenosha, WI

King of Prussia, PA

Lake Worth, FL

Las Vegas, NV

Lauderdale Lakes, FL

Lexington, KY

Logan, UT

Loganville, GA

Los Angeles

Madison, WI

Miami, FL

Milwaukee, WI

Minneapolis, MN

Monterey, CA

Morgantown, WV

Mount Holly, NJ

Newark, NJ

New Haven, CT

New Orleans, LA

New York City, NY

Oakland, CA

Orange County, CA

Orlando, FL

Palm Beach Gardens, FL

Philadelphia, PA

Pittsburgh, PA

Plantation, FL

Portland, OR

Redwood City, CA

Rochester, NY

Sacramento, CA

St. Louis, MO

St. Paul, MN

Salt Lake City, UT

San Diego, CA

Sanford, FL

San Francisco, CA

Santa Monica, CA

Sausalito, CA

Seattle, WA

Spartanburg, SC

Springfield, IL

Syracuse, NY

Tallahassee, FL

Tampa, FL

Tempe, AZ

Troy, MI

Tulsa, OK

Tucson, AZ

Washington DC

Waukegan, IL

Wenatchee, WA

West Palm Beach, FL

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Gloria Dawson is The Daily Green's photo editor.

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