Eyes on the Street: Denver Park(ing) Day 2015 in Pictures

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Parking spaces could hold one automobile, or a bunch of humans. Photo: Robby Long

Once a year, Park(ing) Day offers a glimpse of what streets might look like if cities reallocated public space that’s usually reserved for automobiles to benefit people. Today is that day. So Denverites took to the streets and temporarily transformed metered parking spots into outdoor living rooms, game rooms, dining rooms — places to interact with one another.

And guess what? The city didn’t fall apart. Instead the miniature parks (“parklets”) displayed the potential for the underutilized public land usually reserved for parking cars and trucks.

Ironically, taking over a metered space for humans costs $25 for 14 hours downtown — more than it would cost to park a machine there for the same amount of time.

Enjoy these scenes from today’s Park(ing) Day. Thanks to CU Denver researchers Jenny Niemann and Madeline Keating for helping to organize successful pop-ups, and to Robby Long for documenting the day.

Norris Design created a parklet at 11th and Bannock. Photo Madeline
Norris Design created a parklet at 11th and Bannock. Photo Madeline Keating
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Urban camping? Photo: Robby Long
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This pop-up park is a bit more lively than the parking spot that usually takes up this public space. Photo: Robby Long

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The urban living room. Photo: Robby Long
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Photo: Robby Long
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One parking space holds a lot more two-wheeled vehicles than four-wheeled ones. Photo: Robby Long
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OK, sure. Corn hole is one use for a parklet. Photo: Robby Long
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Larimer Square just got more charming. Photo: Robby Long
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The amount of comfort these people exhibit makes you wonder if this parklet is just their living room, transported. Photo: Robby Long
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AMBIT, a design firm in RiNo, turned a parking space into a haven with bean bags. Photo: Madeline Keating

 

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A coffee stand for morning bike commuters. Photo: Robby Long
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This scene looks way more interesting than the cars parked across the street. Photo: Robby Long

For more creative Park(ing) Day examples from other cities, check out Streetsblog USA.

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