2016 brought Park(ing) Day to Towson, MD once more. Collaboration between Site Resources and Live Green Landscape Associates converted an Allegheny Avenue parking space into a “patio party” pocket park. Allegheny Avenue is a central spur of Towson’s busy downtown retail and office district, with a steady flow of pedestrians. Our pocket park offered respite from the constant hubbub of the street and a chance for passers-by to kick-back and share a relaxing moment.

Throughout the day, store owners and locals shared their appreciation for the oasis. Lush green sod carpeted the space, while native perennials and brightly colored lanterns cheerfully invited people to enter the space and enjoy the park. A rain barrel, suitable for any patio, was a focal point, and Site Resources’ designers were available to explain how rooftop rain water runoff can be collected to conserve potable water, reduce stormwater runoff, and provide irrigation for plantings.

Park(ing) Day is an annual worldwide event, held on the third Friday of September. Designers, artists and citizens transform metered parking spaces into temporary public parks in miniature. The event was initiated in 2005 by Rebar, a San Francisco art and design studio, by simply placing sod and a single bench in a parking space to draw attention to the need for open space in urban settings. Since then, design firms, schools, various other organizations, and individuals have participated in this event, turning urban parking spaces into areas of respite through imaginative themes and designs.