The return of the global event PARK(ing) Day to Baton Rouge this Friday will create temporary mini-parks at 16 sites across the city—and will probably cause countless double takes from confused passersby.
Billed as a way to get people to rethink how we use streets, infrastructure and public space in an urban landscape, PARK(ing) Day had its first local run last September with just six locations. Center for Planning Excellence spearheaded the initiative, taking over metered parking spaces along Third Street and elsewhere, and turning them into pop-up parks with benches, landscaping and even lawn games.
This year looks to be a much bigger demonstration, with several sites along Government Street, Capital Heights Avenue, Jefferson Highway and Perkins Road also hosting the daylong makeshift parks. Downtown Development District, Garden District Nursery, La Carreta, Studio C, Visit Baton Rouge, The Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge, Radio Bar, Gourmet Girls and others are all participating, in some cases taking over much of a parking lot for their mini-parks.