aroraborealis | (no subject)

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park(ing)

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PARK(ing) Day, predictably, I suppose, is being an amazing series of hoops to jump through and hurdles to clear. I finally got the permits from the City of Boston for the spaces in the city, and our contact in Cambridge managed the two there, too. YAY!

The new hurdle is that the sod donation may not come through. So I'm scrambling: How do I make a parking space feel special and welcoming and vaguely parklike if I'm not lining it with sod and making it temporarily green. Ideas? I'm currently thinking about trying to use chalk or other color to create an attractive path or labyrinth or something, but I fear that simply doesn't have the same charm as good old fashioned grass.

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Can you lay down some sort of artificial turf? I'm thinking of the green plastic stuff that comes in rolls, if they still make it. Still not as charming as grass, but better than chalk.

I second the astro-turf suggestion. Or maybe something like these (http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2603666&sourceid=1500000000000003260370&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=2603666)?

An old rug or two, under a bench?

Oh, I second that one. Rug and bench.

Or maybe you could get these guys (http://www.imaginetile.com/in_stock.asp?main=tile_detail.asp?tileid=22) to donate some of their tiles? ;-)

That's a thought! The huge other win of the sod was that it was going to be donated, and then I had a great place to donate it in turn at the end of the day, so it was (a) free and (b) not wasted.

I was totally thinking of those foam puzzle mats, but they're so expensive! We have essentially no budget for this. Still, it's a good idea.

Rugs! Hmmm!

I have a couple of rugs ... somewhere ... maybe.

I was amazed that those are only $25 for four 2'x2' mats. If I'd known one could get them for that price, I would have sprung for some for Burning Man! How big an area do you need to cover?

A parking spot is about 10'x14'

Potted plants? You could probably even borrow them, although big ones are heaaaaaavy.

Picnic blanket, right on the pavement!

Sheet plastic plus donated sand, add an umbrella and a towel: beach!

Because of what you are doing, there are many non-profit organizations or green companies that may contribute to your cause should you be willing to apply their name as sponsors. I mean...cars that park in spaces have THEIR name on the cars.

It's getting a bit chilly out, so...LEAVES! Big pile o' leaves.

Potted plants was what I was thinking of! Some people may even have small trees in pots that they would be willing to lend for this cause.

Wow! That's much bigger than I realized!

I blame those goddamn big cars people like to drive!

This. You could probably get a local nursery to donate some for the day, esp. if you returned the favor by advertising for them in your park. I know Boston GreenFest did it that way.

Yes, this was my thought. As well manicured lawns (or sod pretending to be such) aren't terribly "natural." I vote for potted plants, specifically ones that look more like wildflowers. And picnic blankets!

I have an old GREEN rug that is currently at

srl's that I think he cannot use. It's 13 years old and was one of the first things I bought for my first apartment. It's oval, and about.... 4X8?

I was also thinking a bale of straw that you could scatter and/or some haybales that might also work as benches. I, ahem, know some people who might take them as mulch afterwards...

I think I'd love the rug of we can figure out how to get it to me. Hay bale!! Brilly!!

Also, my friend Melissa is doing this in New Haven and here's what they're up to:

"Parking day on Friday! A parking space will be seized (with permission from the city) by the New Haven chapter of Architecture for Humanity in front of city hall. Stop by for some baked goods, and urban planning brainstorming! Featuring furniture made from repurposed cardboard tubes!"

A kiddie wading pool and a couple of lawn chairs?

Pumpkins?, a succah....?

Can you try to borrow some large potted plants? If you had little ficas and indoor trees, up on a short side table, you could get a nice effect. It's probably too late to get them on loan from a florist, but lots of our friends have them.

Huge piles of play-ground sand with pails and buckets would be fun, too, but too impractical to move, I imagine.

Confirmed-—the green rug doesn't fit anywhere that I could use a rug. If we can figure out how to get it to

aroraborealis, that sounds like a great idea. I'll be home all day Friday, AFAIK, until the late afternoon/evening.

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