City of Columbia Missouri

P.O. BOX 6015
COLUMBIA, MO 65205

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 16, 2014

CONTACT: Janet Godon, 874-7460

GetAbout Columbia Encourages Participation in PARK(ing) Day 2014

(COLUMBIA, MO) -

GetAbout Columbia, in partnership with Columbia Parks and Recreation, is encouraging participation in a global, annual event called PARK(ing) Day on Friday, September 19.  Businesses, organizations and citizens around the world will be temporarily transforming abandoned spaces and metered and unmetered parking spaces into social gathering places or "parklets" - temporary "green" space designed to serve as an extension of a sidewalk.  Columbia PARK(ing) Day "How-To" Manuals are available by calling 874-7460 or emailing [email protected]create new email.

Originally invented in 2005 by Rebar, a San Francisco-based art and design studio, PARK(ing) Day challenges people to rethink the way streets are used and reinforces the need for broad-based changes to urban infrastructure. "In urban centers around the world, inexpensive curbside parking results in increased traffic, wasted fuel and more pollution," says Rebar's Matthew Passmore. "The planning strategies that generated these conditions are not sustainable, nor do they promote a healthy, vibrant human habitat. PARK(ing) Day is about re-imagining the possibilities of the urban landscape."

Since 2005, the project has blossomed into a worldwide grassroots movement: PARK(ing) Day 2011 - the last year statistics were collected -- included 975 "PARK" installations in more than 160 cities in 35 countries on six continents. Though PARK(ing) Day no longer tracks the number of PARKs each year, the project continues to expand to urban centers across the globe.

About GetAbout Columbia (getaboutcolumbia.com):  Funding for GetAbout Columbia is provided by the Federal Highway Administration's Non-Motorized Transportation Program.  Education and encouragement programs are administered by the Columbia Parks and Recreation Department.

About PARK(ing) Day (parkingday.org):  PARK(ing) Day began in 2005 and is an open-source Rebar invention created by hundreds of independent individuals and groups worldwide. "PARK(ing) Day" is a registered service mark of Rebar Group, Inc.

About Rebar (www.rebargroup.org):  Founded in 2004 in San Francisco, Rebar is an internationally recognized art and design studio operating at the intersection of art, design and ecology



City of Columbia Vision
Columbia is the best place for everyone to live, work, learn and play.

City of Columbia Mission
To serve the public equitably through democratic, transparent and efficient government.

-30-