Taking the asphalt out of Park(ing) Day

REGINA – The final week of summer might be enjoyed with lunch on the patio or a chat with friends in the park.

“We’ve had a few people stop and have their coffee,” Jennifer Barrett said during a break in the conversation, surrounded by plants and shrubbery.

But this environment isn’t entirely natural.

“It’s going to make you stop and think, ‘What’s going on here?’ ” said Chad Jacklin.

The park is actually a single parking stall on 13th Avenue, like hundreds of others set up for Park(ing) Day in cities all over the world.

“We thought, it would be fun to try in Regina,” Barrett said.

Regina Advocates for Design wasn’t just out to shock you. The group wants to make you re-imagine your neighbourhood’s streetscape, asking how you would change it.

“It’s like if martians came down from outer space, would they think the highest life form is the car? Because spaces are designed around the car, more than they are for humans,” said Chris Kailing, an architect.

Much of Park(ing) day is about picturing the community on foot or on a bike instead of from the driver’s seat.

“People … are more aware of their surroundings and more appreciative of their surroundings than if you’re tearing by at 40 or 60 (kilometres per hour),” said Dena Hudson, a Cathedral resident.

The feedback mostly focused on making Regina more bike-friendly, but Kailing believes the goal is to simply reconsider how we use our urban spaces.

“What is the next step to keep Regina being a beautiful city? Is better street infrastructure one of them?”