It's parking space time

Any public parking space can be prime real estate: well-located, easy to access, convenient. You rent the space out for a given time while you park your car – but surely you could engage in other activities while there? You've paid your money; the space is yours for two hours; why not have a barbecue, or play a game of chess, have a picnic... even open a short-term public park?


This was the premise behind PARK(ing), by the San Francisco-based group Rebar (also responsible for the Cabinet National Library – a filing cabinet in the middle of the desert).
As Rebar writes, "more than 70% of San Francisco's downtown outdoor space is dedicated to the private vehicle, while only a fraction of that space is allocated to the public realm. Feeding the meter of a parking space enables one to rent precious downtown real estate, typically on a 1/2 hour to 2 hour basis. What is the range of possible occupancy activities for this short-term lease?"
How about "a metered parking spot for public recreational activity"? In other words, a temporary public park.
Take a look:


Rebar's caption for that last photograph is: "the need for green open space is apparent." Indeed.