Silver Spring Parking Space to Become a Temporary Pop-up Parklet

Officials from Montgomery Parks, the Montgomery County Planning Department and Montgomery County Department of Transportation, are inviting residents to celebrate PARK(ing) Day on Sept. 18 by converting a parking space in downtown Silver Spring into a temporary pop-up parklet.

The pop-up park, according to a news release, will feature plants, seating, and the bean bag toss game: cornhole.

“PARK(ing) Day is an opportunity to provoke people’s thinking about what they are giving up for a parking space. Every time we dedicate a chunk of land for parking, that is space not available for a park or an open space. Through this event, we want to raise awareness and ask people to think about more efficient ways to arrange parking to accommodate other amenities,” Casey Anderson, chair of the Montgomery County Planning Board, said in a news release.

This annual event was established in 2005 by Rebar, a San Francisco-based art and design studio, and aims to raise awareness about different ways to use streets and promote changes on urban infrastructure.

Parks officials said although this is a temporary park, the goal is to encourage residents to get involved in the civic process to promote more urban open space and improve the quality of urban areas. The celebration is always held on the third Friday of September.

Montgomery Planning Chair Casey Anderson, Planning Director Gwen Wright and Montgomery Parks Director of Operations John Nissel are expected to attend the event.

The temporary pop-up park will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the corner of Fenton Street and Wayne Avenue in downtown Silver Spring.

Montgomery County is also sponsoring two additional parklets:

• Bethesda: Two parklets will be open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. One will be located near the corner of Norfolk and Cordell Avenues with an outdoor café theme. The other will be located near the corner of Woodmont and Bethesda Avenues and feature a reading room theme.
• Wheaton: A parklet located on Grandview Avenue between Reedie Drive and Ennalls Avenue will be open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will feature information about parking lot pedestrian safety and alternative transportation options.

About Aline Barros

Aline Barros is a multimedia reporter and community engagement specialist with Montgomery Community Media. She can be reached at Abarros@mymcmedia.org and on Twitter at @AlineBarros2.

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