Generating Awareness: ''Parks Build Community'' Miami-Dade County Parks, Urban Impact Lab And The Miami Foundation Partner for ''Park(ing) Day Miami 2014''
(MIAMI, September 17, 2014) — The Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department is partnering with Urban Impact Lab and The Miami Foundation to champion and participate in the international, annual event, “PARK(ing) Day.” The mission of PARK(ing) Day is to call attention to the need for more urban open space, to generate critical debate around how public space is created and allocated, and to improve the quality of urban human habitat. The partners will temporarily transform metered parking spaces throughout Downtown Miami into public parks and other social spaces, as part of PARK(ing) Day on Friday, September 19, 2014.
Just in time for PARK(ing) Day, at least 14 parking spaces throughout Downtown and Midtown Miami will receive an extreme make-over to create 11 pop-up park locations and draw attention to the cause of the need for more open green space in Miami-Dade County. The pop-up park installations will echo the Miami-Dade County Parks and Public Space Master Plan that envisions the transformation of the County into a walkable community, where every resident lives within a quarter-of-a-mile or a ten-minute walking distance from a park. The goal is to achieve the dynamic that makes every iconic community in the world unforgettable, and that is, greater connection amongst its people through a great park system, because parks build community.
“Miami is a global destination on par with some of the greatest cities in the world to visit,” said Miami-Dade Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Director Jack Kardys. “There is no reason why this community shouldn’t have a spectacular park system that connects us all to one another the way New York, Paris, Chicago, and Boston do. It’s the quintessential feature that makes a memorable destination a phenomenal place to live.”
“The Miami-Dade County Parks and Public Space Master Plan provides a framework of connectivity for bicycles and pedestrians that has been sorely lacking in Miami,” said Urban Impact Lab Founding Partner Marta Viciedo. “The mission of PARK(ing) Day is perfectly aligned with and champions the need for this community to embrace the guiding principles of the plan, which are Seamlessness, Beauty, Access, Equity, Sustainability, and Multiple Benefits for all through parks.”
“The Plan’s implementation will result in a more sustainable Miami-Dade County public realm, where the minute you step outside your doorstep, you enter into a great park system composed of parks, public spaces, natural and cultural areas connected by greenways, trails and streets designed as linear parks,” added Kardys. “We embrace PARK(ing) Day, because it opens the imagination to the true potential of public space, as places where community grows and comes alive. It’s the advantage of smart design.”
PARK(ing) Day will feature benefits of parks for residents to sample and enjoy throughout the downtown urban setting, as nature, outdoor recreation and eco adventure invade concrete and asphalt parking spaces for the day. Drivers and pedestrians alike will be surprised by live park scenes where cars once parked, and they’ll be invited to participate and become one with the green scene.
While samplings will be available Friday, residents need only look to the newly opened Gratigny Plateau Park, the 140 miles of extended and newly connected BIKE305 bike trails and the momentum to re-purpose the 10-mile M-Path underneath the Metrorail – The Underline, led by the Friends of The Underline in partnership with Miami-Dade County – to see the positives and the potential social, health and even economic impacts to their communities.
“As our upcoming 2014 Our Miami Report will indicate, we have significantly less parkland per resident compared to other metros and invest far fewer financial resources in them,” said President and CEO of The Miami Foundation Javier Alberto Soto. “We need our local officials and developers to make beautiful public spaces a funded priority. They are critical additions to a society where citizens can engage, connect and appreciate the diversity Miami offers, making this a more enjoyable place to call home.”
Miami-Dade County Parks will host and program 2 out of the 11 total PARK(ing) Day pop-up park installations, including an interactive health and wellness station in front of Granny Feelgood’s Restaurant at 25 West Flagler Street, and a nature-experiences and interactive cycling display in front of Panther Coffee at 2348 NW 2nd Avenue. In addition to challenging and re-envisioning how public spaces are currently used, the pop-up parks will spread the message that “PARKs Build Community.”
The Miami Foundation will host one downtown site on PARK(ing) Day on NE 3rd Avenue between 1st and 2nd Streets. The pop-up park will showcase how effective public spaces create opportunities for residents to connect in Miami’s urban core.
More information regarding PARK(ing) Day Miami activities can be found at www.parkingdaymiami.com and a global map of all participating cities are available on the PARK(ing) Day website, at parkingday.org.
About the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department:
Nationally accredited, a three-time winner of the NRPA National Gold Medal Award, winner of the 2013 Florida Governor’s Sustained Excellence Award and the 2009 Florida Governor’s Sterling Award for excellence in management and operations, Miami-Dade County Parks is the third largest county park system in the United States, consisting of 260 parks and 12,825 acres of land. It is one of the most unique park and recreation systems in the world. Made up of more than just playgrounds and athletic fields, it also comprises out-of-school, sports-development, and summer-camp programs; programs for seniors and people with disabilities; educational nature centers and nature preserves; environmental restoration efforts; arts and culture programs and events; the renowned Zoo Miami and the Deering Estate at Cutler; the Crandon Tennis Center; golf courses; beaches; marinas; campgrounds; pools; and more. For information about Miami-Dade County Parks call 3-1-1, or visit www.miamidade.gov/parks/. Miami-Dade County Parks is supported by The Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade. For more information on the Parks Foundation, please visit www.liveaparklife.org.
About Urban Impact Lab (www.urbanimpactlab.com):
A Miami-based collaborative, Urban Impact Lab designs and develops creative solutions for urban issues.
About The Miami Foundation:
Established in 1967, The Miami Foundation has helped hundreds of people create powerful legacies by establishing custom, charitable funds. More than $170 million in grants and scholarships have been awarded in the Foundation’s history. Today, the Foundation stewards more than $200 million in charitable assets. Informed by its upcoming 2014 Our Miami Report, the Foundation builds attachment to the city by supporting engaging public spaces, connecting creative talent and driving an improved quality of life. Visit miamifoundation.org for more information.
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