Designing Hong Kong E-Newsletter: Sunday, 27 September 2009

Students convert parking space into a park (for one day)

Hong Kong students temporarily transformed a metered parking spot in Granville Road, Tsimshatsui, into a public park. Click here to watch the SCMP video report on YouTube.

The group brought astro turf, a tree, benches, food and board games and relaxed for an afternoon while curious pedestrians and confused drivers passed by. One couple who parked behind the new ‘park’ complained. What ensued between the police and students was a humorous debate about the law and the use of public space.

The ‘park performance’ challenges how we think about public space and makes a statement about the poor quality of our public realm: Which side walk in Hong Kong has benches for people to sit on? Where can people sit on grass?

The event is part of PARK(ing) Day, a movement which saw people in more than 100 cities turn parking spots into "human friendly" places for one day this year. Check out www.parkingday.org.

The annual event was originally created by Rebar, an interdisciplinary studio in San Francisco which operates at the intersection of art, design and activism.

Click here for the 6 minute documentary produced by Video Journalist Edwin Lee at www.SCMP.com.

If the mailing doesn't display correct, click here to read the online version


	Students convert parking space into a park (for one day) Hong Kong students temporarily transformed a metered parking spot in Granville Road, Tsimshatsui, into a public park. Click here to watch the SCMP video report on YouTube. The group brought astro turf, a tree, benches, food and board games and relaxed for an afternoon while curious pedestrians and confused drivers passed by. One couple who parked behind the new ‘park’ complained. What ensued between the police and students was a humorous debate about the law and the use of public space. The ‘park performance’ challenges how we think about public space and makes a statement about the poor quality of our public realm: Which side walk in Hong Kong has benches for people to sit on? Where can people sit on grass? The event is part of PARK(ing) Day, a movement which saw people in more than 100 cities turn parking spots into "human friendly" places for one day this year. Check out www.parkingday.org. The annual event was originally created by Rebar, an interdisciplinary studio in San Francisco which operates at the intersection of art, design and activism. Click here for the 6 minute documentary produced by Video Journalist Edwin Lee at www.SCMP.com.