National Park(ing) Day’s annual takeover and transformation of parking spaces around the world takes place this Friday, September 18, 2015.

National PARK(ing) Day is an established, open-source event that challenges citizens, artists, and designers to reimagine the space of the car. How can we rethink the space we allot to parking? How can it be used for something more beneficial to the overall community rather than a single business or automobile driver?

LSU students in the College of Art & Design are celebrating Park(ing) Day by designing parklets on and off campus.

The LSU Student Chapter of the American Association of Landscape Architects are creating a parklet on LSU’s campus right in front of the Design Building on Field House Drive, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Fifteen LSU School of Architecture students enrolled in Professional in Residence William Doran’s community design seminar (ARCH 4072), Mid City Studio, have partnered with the Mid City Redevelopment Alliance and local businesses to create three parklets in Mid City Baton Rouge for Park(ing) Day:

Site #1: Baton Rouge General Hospital

3500 Florida Boulevard, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Key issue: Sustenance (Food Systems) in Communities
Other partners: Whole Foods Baton Rouge, Agame Yoga
Challenge: Engage the public in education about food deserts, the benefits of fresh foods and how they can be grown, and host a participatory planting activity
Other activities on site: Yoga classes (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.), Whole Foods Grant Program table, on-site nutritionist, adult recess

Site #2: Aladdin’s Lamp Antiques

2648 Government Street, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Key issue: Literacy in communities
Other partners: Brew-Ha-Ha Coffee, Mid City Redevelopment Alliance, LSU Museum of Art, Gaudet Bros.
Challenge: Engage the public in education about literacy, the benefits of reading, ways to access books, this site will host a book drive to stock little free libraries that will be placed throughout Mid City
Other activities on site: Brew-Ha-Ha serving coffee, lemonade, and cake balls (free with book donation!)

Site #3: The Radio Bar

3079 Government Street, 4:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Key issue: Cultural importance of art in communities 
Other partners: Body Image Tattoo, Atomic Pop Shop, Bricks and Bombs, Violet Lotus Studio 
Challenge: Engage the public in education about the cultural value of all art, especially non-traditional forms and non-traditional venues; expose the public to the breadth of what is considered art and the benefits of making art; this site will host a participatory art project and pop-up gallery
Other activities on site: Belly dancing, food truck, and live music

Find Mid City Studio on Instagram @midcitystudioBR and Facebook at facebook.com/midcitysutioBR. Discover more parklets and learn more about National PARK(ing) Day at parkingday.org.