How can we load the Sunset bike lanes with 18 wheelers parked illegally but sit in fear that the LADOT will cite us for celebrating Park(ing) Day LA?

You don’t want to wait until the night before to plan your park. Follow our 10 steps to planning and building a successful park and you’ll be the envy of all of your friends.

And if you got some materials to loan or if you want to volunteer, email us at info@parkingdayla.com to connect you with the park teams!

Permit or Guerrilla Style?

Anyone involved with Park[ing] Day LA should survey the legal landscape and be aware of the laws that govern the use of the curbside metered parking spot and be prepared to engage passers-by, motorists, members of the press, city leadership and yes, even the authorities, in a rational and respectful dialogue and explanation of Park[ing] Day LA.

Jane Jacobs, in “The Death and Life of Great American Cities” writes that in order to make a city safe, prosperous and worth living in, one must start with “lively and interesting streets.”

--->>> more info here

Choose your location

Park[ing] Day LA is about increasing awareness so try to make sure your park is in a location that

. . . has lots of walking and biking traffic
. . . is great for stopping and relaxing
. . . needs more parks! Check out these Trust for Public Land maps that show the areas with the greatest need for parks in red.
. . . will reach your target audience

Once you’ve chosen the general location of your park you will want to choose a metered space that has parking for 30 minutes to 2 hours. Please avoid “no-stopping” zones.

In heavy traffic areas it might be a good idea to use two or more spaces; one space can be for unloading your materials.

Choose your Message

There are many important issues that intersect with Park[ing] Day LA beyond parking, parks, and public space. These include climate change, sustainable energy, restoring our water systems, native landscaping, and green building. There are also many ways a park can be used—for performances, aerobic activities, meditation, and the list goes on. Think about how you want your park to impact people and plan accordingly. The creative possibilities are endless!

It’s best to be prepared with how you will explain Park[ing] Day LA to those who visit your park. Here is a sample response you can use.

Curious passer-by: What’s going on here?

You: Today is Park[ing] Day and people around the world are building parks in parking spaces to draw attention to the imbalance of space set aside for parking cars in comparison to parks. Only 5% of L.A. City land is devoted to parks, while 14% is devoted to public streets and their parking spaces. We need more parks for many reasons including tackling climate change and providing more places to play and relax. If you’d like more information about our group I can take down your information and someone will contact you. Visit our website where you can see a map of all the parks that have been built today.

Photo by Steve Rhodes

Image by amyseek

You want your park to draw people in. One way to do this is to think of your park as a living room. There are lots of elements that make a living room comfortable and inviting, but the following elements are key to making your park a success:

Ground Cover

You don’t have to cover the asphalt of your parking space, but if you do you can really increase the desirability of your park as a hang out spot. You have endless options including: sod, moss, potted plants, sand, decomposed granite, coarse mulch, thick flagstone, Astroturf, rubber tiles, carpet tiles, or water.

Depending on what materials you use, you may need to put a covering over the asphalt before you lay anything else down. We want to be sure to keep materials out of storm drains and make clean up easy. If you’re using sod put down a tarp to protect the roots and make it possible to reuse the sod.

Plants and Trees

Los Angeles is in dire need of more parks and more shade on our streets. Make sure you include enough plants and trees to provide shade for your visitors-they’ll be amazed at the difference a little green and shade can make!
Boundaries

You want your park to have clear boundaries to protect your park visitors from car traffic. You can create these boundaries by placing your plants, trees, or other park elements along the edge of your park.

Seats

Whether it’s comfortable ground cover, chairs, or benches, you want to provide your park guests with a comfortable place to sit.

Signage

Most great living rooms have art that make the room visually interesting. Bring signage that can be both inviting and informational for your park visitors.
Coins

O.k. it doesn’t cost money to relax in most living rooms, but it does in this case. Don’t forget to bring enough coins to feed the meter for the duration of your park’s existence.

Materials for clean up

Be sure to bring brooms or whatever will be necessary to leave your parking space spotless. We hope Park[ing] Day LA will be an event that continues in the future and being good stewards of the parking spaces will help insure this.

. . . and remember to plan the layout of your park in advance and use native plants when possible and plants and materials that can be re-cycled into use!

If at all possible use a mode of transportation that doesn’t require a car. Try getting a team of cyclists to transport your materials. If you have to use a car borrow a Flexcar, or use a hybrid or biodiesel vehicle.

• Get someone to arrive early to hold your space
  
• Have several people available to help set up and take down your park
  
• Have someone take down people’s contact information or give out an email address or website where your visitors can get more information
  
• Have someone available to document your park. We would love to upload your footage. Photos and short videos are a plus!

• Have someone arrive early to claim your parking space or spaces. If you can’t get at least two spaces, be sure to bring traffic safety cones or saw horses so you can unload safely.
  
• Start paying the meter.
  
• Place any turf or necessary groundcover. If you’re using sod it’s helpful to place the roll along the curb’s edge and then unroll. Bring pruning clippers to make a perfect fit!
  
• Place your plants and/or trees. If you’re using 24” box trees you will need 3-4 people to move each tree. They are very heavy!
  
• Set up your boundaries. If your plants or trees are not being used as boundaries, set up the objects you have brought to use.
  
• Place your seating and signage.

When Park[ing] Day LA is over for you be sure to take all of your materials, debris, or trash with you and leave your parking space cleaner than it was when you arrived.

Recycle!

Try to use recycled materials as much as possible when building your park. You can do this by using materials you already have, borrowing materials from a friend, or purchasing materials that can be donated or used again.

Visit our Wiki to arrange for sharing or borrowing materials.

Share your park with us!

We want Angelenos to see all the beautiful parks we build and continue to bring awareness to Park[ing] Day LA.

We set up a google map of all the parks that are to be built on Park[ing] Day LA. Add your own Park at communitywalk.com/parkingdayla2011 (click on "Add marker" on the top left tab above the map (right of Community Walk title) and follow directions or submit your location to info@parkingdayla.com to be included in this online map.