Celebrate PARK(ing) Day each September!
What is PARK(ing) Day?
PARK(ing) Day is an annual open-source global event where citizens, artists, an activists collaborate to temporarily transform metered parking spaces into PARK(ing) spaces - temporary public spaces.  Always scheduled for the third Friday in September, the City of Columbia has been host to PARK(ing) Day celebrations since 2015.  Each year, artists, architects, advocates for public space, and more come together to design and build temporary parklet installations in parking spaces throughout the urban core, inspiring and challenging Columbians to reframe how we think about public space.  
PARK(ing) Day 2024
Our 9th annual PARK(ing) Day celebration was Friday, September 20th, in Downtown Columbia! The 2024 theme was "Park less, ___ more" - and we hope joined in the fun and made a day of visiting all the spaces! 

Already looking forward to 2025? Our TENTH annual PARK(ing) Day celebration will be Friday, September 19th. If you are looking forward to hosting a space, start scoping your spaces and brainstorming now - we'll release applications in June or July of 2025!

It's also a design contest!
PARK(ing) Day 2024 included our fourth annual design contest, with two awards up for grabs: a juried Best Design Award, and a People's Choice Award with voting day-of! Congratulations to our winners!
Four women stand in front of a tent decorated with mushrooms, plants, and crepe paper
The Catchy Name Collective installation, "Park Less, Imagine More", won the 2024 Juried Best Design Award
Parking spaces are decorated with gravestones, a smoke machine, flowers, and mirrors.
The Ghost Boss Podcast installation, "Park Less, Haunt More", won the 2024 People's Choice Award

Need some inspiration?
Check out some photos of PARK(ing) Day installations from past celebrations in Columbia below.  If you're on social media, you can look for #parkingday and #ASLAparkingday to see what other communities have done, too!

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Parklet Pilot Project
In 2021, the City installed two public parklets as part of a pilot program.  ​Parklets transform parking spaces into vibrant community spaces, filled with seating, art, and greenery (learn more).
The first parklet, on Washington Street between Main and Sumter,  was made possible by a grant from the AARP Community Challenge Program, and featured the artwork of Frankie Zombie.  Installed in May of 2021, this vibrant parklet included cafe table seating and was adjacent to the entrance of the historic Arcade Building.  Southern Vistas provided the plants for this parklet.
Photograph of a woman taking a group selfie in the Parklet on Washington. She stands, smiling, in the lower righthand corner, as two women and two men sit in brightly colored chairs and at a bright green table, also located within the parklet, and smiling at the camera.
Parklet on Washington
The second parklet, on Hampton Street between Main and Sumter, was made possible by a grant from the Knight Foundation, and featured artwork by local artist Cait Maloney.  Additional support for both parklets was provided by One Columbia and City Center Partnership.
Picture
Parklet on Hampton
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