Park(ing) Day last Friday was a resounding success in Minneapolis and nationally. According to local organizer Shanai Matteson, participation was good, but, better yet, the event gave her an opportunity to meet people and raise critical issues. In an email, she writes:
I think the most interesting thing for me was that the park became an excuse to talk to strangers about the city and the public spaces we do (and don’t) share. A number of people who passed by stopped to hang out for a bit, and when they did, we started talking. More than a few of remarked that it was great to see even a little bit of green downtown, and that they enjoyed the fact that they could talk with strangers about things like public space, politics (there happened to be a rally for Barack Obama just down the block), environment, or anything else that the park made them think of. One woman – a longtime resident of Minneapolis – told stories about how the city has changed in the past 20 years. It was fascinating! Park(ing) Daywas successful in that regard. I believe it made an impression, even upon those people who peered suspiciously from the skyway above.
See photos from Minneapolis interventions here.
