on Sep 20, 2013
PARK(ing) Day NYC: Live/Work/Play = Laptops/LEGOS/ Lemonade
HR&A celebrates open space with LEGOS, laptops, and lemonade
HR&A Advisors invited Tribeca pedestrians to join us in celebrating the importance of urban open space on Friday, September 20, when we transformed three metered parking spaces into a vibrant, mixed-use Live/Work/Play community as part of Park(ing) Day 2013.
HR&A’s second PARK(ing) Day installation temporarily reshaped the northern curb of Harrison Street, between Hudson and Greenwich Streets, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pedestrians relaxed in a comfortable landscaped space with a hammock, HR&A employees and office workers worked on laptops nearby, and passersby used LEGO blocks to “vote” for their most important mayoral campaign issues and played Ping-Pong.
“At the core of HR&A’s mission is the reinvention of American cities as vibrant places to live, work, and play,” said HR&A President Eric Rothman. “PARK(ing) Day is a one-of-a-kind opportunity not just to promote HR&A’s vision and mission, but also to engage the public in the type of change that we expect to see more of, in New York City and around the world.”
First conceived 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. Since 2005, the project has blossomed into a worldwide grassroots movement: Past PARK(ing) Days have included nearly 1,000 “PARK” installations in more than 160 cities in 35 countries on six continents.
HR&A’s PARK(ing) Day installation was divided into three spaces:
- The Live space activated the streetscape and invited passersby to enter the park-like setting with temporary landscaping, comfortable seating, and a hammock. This space highlighted the importance of open space for urban residents and invited passersby to enter, relax, and enjoy some lemonade.
- The Work space provided an outdoor workspace for HR&A employees and the public. Tables, chairs, electricity, and wireless internet were available for everyone’s use, creating a productive environment by showing how work can be flexible and balanced with living and playing.
- The Play space engaged and educated passersby through an interactive survey on top issues in the upcoming mayoral election. Each “vote” was represented by a LEGO brick, which allowed participants to literally “build” their vision for a better New York City. Nearby, pedestrians challenged each other to games of Ping-Pong at the edge of the park.
HR&A Advisors, Inc. (HR&A) is an industry leader in economic development, real estate and public policy consulting. Equipped with a unique understanding of the intersection of the public and private sectors, HR&A has served a diversity of clients since 1976. HR&A has extensive experience advising on some of the most complicated real estate and economic development projects in communities across the country. We approach each assignment by focusing on how to achieve our client’s goals in the context of the public sector’s priorities and the private sector’s motivations. Our approach has allowed hundreds of public and private clients to transform public infrastructure, real estate and economic development concepts first into actionable plans, then into job-producing, community-strengthening assets.
See more pictures of our Park(ing) Day installation at WNYC, Untapped Cities, Tribeca Citizen, and on NTD Television.
For more information about the history of PARK(ing) Day, please visit www.parkingday.org.