(Picture of the sign, photo courtesy of ChiPhilly - a diagram of how to conserve, recycle, compost, reclaim, reuse and grow your own food, all in your own (urban) backyard.)

PARK(ing) Day is an event that started in San Francisco in 2005 and has since spread throughout the world. It started as a statement about the use of public land in urban areas and lack of public park space, and continues to promote creativity, civic engagement, critical thinking, conversation, play and urban green space - read more on the official PARK(ing) Day website.

This was Philadelphia’s second annual PARK(ing) Day, coordinated through the efforts of Pam Zimmerman, principal of the architecture firm Zimmerman Studios, LLC. I volunteered to design, build and play in the space in front of the Center for Architecture at 1218 Arch Street, sponsored by the Community Design Collaborative & the AIA. Our concept was centered on creating an urban sustainable backyard with an emphasis on zero-waste. Throughout the day we spoke with passers-by and handed out recycling bins and resources on how to think creatively and sustainably about small spaces, including where to get free compost, mulch and rain barrels - check out our resource sheet.

The design utilized drywall/ paint buckets (the 5-gallon type) to create a colorful barrier-support wall across which we laid salvaged lumber from various Philadelphia rowhomes. Atop this we placed various planters from my backyard, creating a lively planter ledge. In front of our planter wall we turned over recycling bins topped with more salvaged lumber to create a seating bench. On the ground we laid out some camping tarps and spread wood mulch from the Fairmount Organics Recycling Center and old carpet tiles to create a patio where we set up a table and chairs. We also had a hammock, a clothes line, and a dead tree that we decorated with glass bottles and painted throughout the day. With a little creativity and ingenuity anyone can create an oasis out of found, salvaged, or otherwise free materials the city has to offer.

The drywall buckets were re-used for container gardening, the lumber is being turned into furniture by Bench Dog Design, the wood mulch was used in local gardens, and the carpet tiles were shipped back to Interface for recycling. The only thing we really spent money on was transporting the materials via PhillyCarshare.

Thanks to Emily Stromberg and Nissa Grant, my partners in creativity.

Check out the Collaborative’s blog about PARK(ing) Day 2009.

Recycled carpet tile patio (photo courtesy of ChiPhilly).

Some visitors.

Me in our ‘yard’ (photo courtesy of ChiPhilly).

Clothesline & dead tree made alive with paint, glass bottles and wind chimes strung on the branches.

View from across the street capturing the Center for Architecture storefront and our colorful recycled bucket barrier wall.

Click here to view the 2009 map of participants designed by Anna Ishii. (4.5MB)