On Friday, 11 area non-profits, businesses, community and government groups joined forces to participate in International PARK(ing) Day. “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot,” are the first two lines of Joni Mitchell’s 1970 hit song “Big Yellow Taxi,” which has long been an anthem about progress and profit in contrast to our environmental riches. When a parking lot became a park in Mansfield, it seemed the community might reclaim some asphalt for the earth and write a new song.
In 2005 outside of San Fransisco art gallery Rebar, a brief installation was set up in a single parking space for two hours. The space became a miniature park complete with tree, grass and a bench and after two hours the space was returned to normal. A single photograph of that event spread through the internet like wildfire and before long a movement was born.
All over the world cities celebrate Park(ing) Day in their own way, and the event has become a jumping off point for discussions about public spaces and how we use them. Mansfield residents are passionate about their parks, so it isn’t shocking that the community pulled together to celebrate the magic that happens in public spaces.
The parks have faced challenges over the years. Thanks to a tight budget the city does not have a parks department, but that hasn’t stopped residents from enjoying their parks. The Friends of the Mansfield Parks, North Main Street Beautification, Raising Richland, North End Community Improvement Collaborative, and Downtown Mansfield all provide volunteers and other support to keep the parks thriving.
All of these organizations plus Cleveland Financial Group, Tuttle Landscape Center, Richland County Development Group, Richland Moves, Pioneer Performing Arts, Niabos Art Gallery, the Richland County Foundation, and Richland Master Gardeners worked together to make the first Park(ing) Day a success.
Paul Bender of the Regional Planning Commission is the primary force that brought all these stakeholders together, although he was quick to emphasize that this is really a testament to the coordinated efforts of the community. Still his passion brought this project to life; in fact he first posited the idea to the Creative Mansfield Facebook Group during PARK(ing) Day 2012. His planning and persistence have certainly paid off.
“We’re happy with the support we’ve had from local organizations. Next year we hope this grows so much we’ll be able to shut down an entire street,” said Bender.
And Park(ing) Day was quite successful. When local architect Matthew Stanfield arrived with the intention of adding to the setup, the park was already full.
Dalton Derr of Friends of the Mansfield Parks was at the lot bright and early to unload a trailer full of trees, grasses and flowers on loan from Tuttle Landscape Center. “I’m interested in anything to do with promoting the parks,” he said. When a passerby asked what PARK(ing) Day is about he said, “We made a park in a parking lot–whatever that means to you, that’s your answer.”
So what exactly happens at Park(ing) Day? Well, basically the same things one might expect to experience at a thriving urban park. It was green. There were plants and benches (ok, church pews in this case), trees and flowers, and of course, people. The people were chatting, smiling, taking snapshots of one another. There was live music performed by some teenage musicians (Pioneer Academy of Performing Arts students). Some coworkers enjoyed the sunshine and eat their lunch outside. There was even an easel set up and some children were drawing and lounging in a hammock.
Organizers and participants alike are already brainstorming about ways to expand on the experience of this first PARK(ing) Day. The hope is that next year the event will grow. Derr suggested that in the future some of Friends of Mansfield Parks programming like Yoga and Zumba might be a fun addition.
“We’re happy with the support we’ve had from local organizations. Next year we hope this grows so much we’ll be able to shut down an entire street,” said Paul Bender
