The Jersey City Independent"

The original Park(ing) Day in San Francisco. Photo: Rebar/Andrea Scher

Originally created by a San Francisco art and design collective in 2005, Park(ing) Day has grown into an annual global event where artists, activists, and citizens collaborate to temporarily transform metered parking spots into temporary public parks. Last year, there were nearly 60 such temporary parks in New York City alone.

This year, Hudson County is getting into the act. For Park(ing) Day, which is this Friday, Sept. 18, the county’s Division of Planning will reclaim a parking spot on Newark Avenue in front of the Historic Brennan Court House.

The park will be active from 10:30 am to 4 pm, and “will include landscaping, chairs, hopscotch, a bicycle and an informational booth with literature provided by the Hudson County Improvement Authority and Hudson Transportation Management Association,” Hudson County planner Megan Massey tells JCI. She recently took some time to answer some questions via email about what is one of the only Park(ing) Day events in New Jersey.

Why participate? What’s the goal here?

Park(ing) Day provides an opportunity for the county to showcase its creativity in a public space. We are taking an area that is used exclusively for cars and creating a space where residents can relax, play and learn for the day.

Our goal is to make residents aware of the county’s efforts toward sustainable living, open space and recreation. By reclaiming a parking spot for the day we are encouraging residents to use alternate means of transportation whenever possible. Residents should be walking or riding a bike for trips throughout their immediate area instead of relying on their cars.

How did Hudson’s participation come about?

Hudson County’s Division of Planning was aware of the Park(ing) Day group created in NYC and wanted to bring the fun event to the other side of the Hudson River.

Park(ing) Day is, in this area, a very NYC-centric event — do you think other New Jersey locales might follow your example?

The county decided to make it a small event for the first year, but the goal for next year is to have all 12 municipalities join in and create their own theme for their selected parking space.

Putting aside the day for a moment, tell me a little more about what the county is doing on the open space front.

The Hudson County Open Space, Recreation & Historic Preservation Trust Fund was established by resolution from the Board of Chosen Freeholders on Dec. 23, 2003. The trust fund is dedicated to the acquisition of land for conservation, open space, historic preservation and recreation facilities. The Hudson County Open Space Trust Fund Advisory Board has the privilege of reviewing and recommending various projects that have been submitted throughout the County. The Open Space Trust Fund has aided in the creation of beautiful parks and recreational facilities that will continue to benefit the community.

Hudson County is committed to promoting sustainable living and accomplishing the goal set out by the County Executive of planting 10,000 new shade trees along our county road system in the next ten years.

To encourage sustainability, the Division of Planning requires all applicants before the County Planning Board to implement green techniques that promote walking and bicycling and reduce the site’s impervious coverage. The county is currently looking for various ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by creating an alternate transportation system and promoting a “buy local” program.

The county, along with the Division of Planning, is committed to promoting sustainable planning that “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs,” as was stated by the Brundtland Commission (formerly known as the World Commission on Environment and Development).