People relaxed, ate lunch, socialized, and otherwise enjoyed spending time on a parking spot on State Street in Ann Arbor on Friday, September 20, 2013 as part of a local "PARK-ing Day" organized by two University of Michigan master's students. The event—which was sponsored by a small-scale grant from U-M's Student Sustainability Initiative (SSI)—was part of an an annual worldwide event where artists, designers, and citizens transform metered parking spots into temporary public parks.
"We want to create a conversation about the lack of open space in urban areas," said Public Health and Urban Planning Student Arielle Fleisher, who planned the event with fellow U-M master's student Jenny Cooper, Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise. "We want people to think about the value of streetscapes that focus on people and community—and not just solely on cars."
PARK-ing Day started in San Francisco in 2005.