BOISE, Idaho β The City of Boise has over 100 parks, but for one day a year, they add a few more right in downtown by transforming curbside parking spots into temporary green spaces.
On the third Friday in September, cities around the U.S. transform single metered parking spots into miniature parks as part of the global Park(ING) Day movement.
"We are encouraging utilizing parking stalls and turning them into little parklets for the community, trying to inspire less vehicle traffic and more public spaces," Sasha Rubinshteyn, Park(ING) Day participant said.
The American Institute of Architects, in collaboration with the American Society of Landscape Architects, unveiled a two-spot pop-up park along Bannock Street on Friday, featuring a variety of recreation areas.
"We have a little putt putt course set up behind us, so it's an active space, and then we also have the adjacent parking space that's more of a passive park," said Jaime Snyder, Park(ING) Day participant.
WATCH: See how the local group turned a curbside parking spot into a mini playground
The global movement started in San Francisco in 2005 to highlight the need for more urban green space. In Boise, neighbors say these mini parks are a perfect fit for the community.
"I think we're all already so outdoor oriented, so having little parklets makes perfect sense and it's a total fit," said Laura Davidson, Park(ING) Day participant.
This year, participants encouraged everyone who passed by to get involved in the temporary installations.
"It's a way to reimagine what our downtown could be. So rather than a place that's really dominated by cars, it could be a place that has more civic space, more community space," Davidson said.
"Just a little bit of greenspace can really liven up their experience when they're downtown. I think that's the whole point of today," Snyder said.
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