The grass was greener last week – at least in several parking spaces across the country. CB Richard Ellis Group, Inc., a global leader in commercial real estate services, and ValleyCrest Landscape Maintenance, a leading national horticultural services company, landscaped 10 mini-parks in metered public parking spaces across the country to mark the Fourth Annual National PARK(ing) Day.
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A finished PARK(ing) Day project on Market St. in Denver, Colo.The PARK(ing) Day project was conceived four years ago by San Francisco-based art collective, REBAR, as an event where organizations, design firms, activists and citizens could participate in a creative and unique experiment to explore the dimensions of ecological sustainability, design and creative vision in parking spaces. Taking place this year Sept. 19, the one-day, national event invites everyone to transform metered public parking spaces into temporary parks to educate the public about the value of green spaces in urban places.
This year, CB Richard Ellis and ValleyCrest landscaped parking spaces in Atlanta, Chicago, Charlotte, Denver, Los Angeles, Newport Beach, Orlando, Pasadena, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., setting a record for the most park installations by any one organization or partnership since the event began.
“Our core values include a commitment to make a positive contribution to the communities in which we work and live and National PARK(ing) Day is a great way to inspire and educate people about the importance of green spaces and sustainability,” said David Pogue, CBRE’s National Director of Sustainability for Institutional and Corporate Services.
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In May 2007, CBRE announced a commitment to become carbon neutral in its own operations by 2010 - making it the first commercial real estate services company to announce such a goal. In addition, CBRE is committed to assisting its clients with energy efficiency programs at much of the 1.9 billion square feet of building space it manages around the world.
Roger Zino, president, ValleyCrest Landscape Maintenance said, “Developing green spaces has been a core mission at ValleyCrest since we began in 1949. This partnership with CB Richard Ellis will demonstrate our commitment to creating powerful connections between individuals and their natural environments through the creation of beautifully landscaped spaces.”
The Fourth Annual National PARK(ing) Day is sponsored by The Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national conservation nonprofit. The organization’s goals are to celebrate parks and promote the need for more parks in America’s cities.
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The 2008 National PARK(ing) Day Locations:
• Atlanta: Midtown - 1375 Peachtree Street
• Chicago: Walton Street - West of Michigan Avenue
• Charlotte, N.C.: NoDa District - 3201 N. Davidson Street
• Denver: Market Street - between 15th and 16th Streets
• Los Angeles: In front of Cal Plaza on Grand Avenue between 3rd & 4th Streets
• Newport Beach, Calif. - Parking lot at corner of Newport Beach and Balboa Blvds
• Orlando, Fla. - Rosalind Avenue, across from the Metropolitan pool at Lake Eola
• Pasadena, Calif. - 201 S. Lake Avenue, South of Cordova Street
• San Francisco - 150 California Street between Front and Davis Streets
• Washington D.C. - American University lot – 4400 Massachusetts Ave NW