Charlottetown Park(ing) Day promotes use of other modes of transportation

Fusion Charlottetown is working with the City of Charlottetown to hold its first Park(ing) day Charlottetown on Friday, Sept. 16 to encourage people to use other modes of transportation by creating a habitable space in a public parking space.

Shallyn Murray, who is part of urban development team with Fusion Charlottetown said the idea is to transform the space and encourage people to use it.

• 'Tactical urbanists' turning 2 parking spots into a city park

"The idea is to demonstrate what can be done in that amount of space and to also encourage people to use other modes of transportation like walking or biking or using public transportation," she said.

Murray said there are lots of ideas on how to transform a parking space including setting up green spaces.

"It's kind of whatever you can imagine to engage people and get them using the parking spaces that is actual, habitable space."

Re-thinking the need for parking

For the first year, the city will be using one parking space and Fusion will use another to create a habitable space.The group is hoping people will see what they do this year and want to take part next year.

Murray said it's a given some people will get upset that two downtown parking spaces will be used for something other than parking but she added that's the point.

"We actually said that's the whole point. It's okay if people make a fuss about it cause the whole point is to draw awareness that people shouldn't be using the parking spots for cars."

While Murray said some will be frustrated, it is an important issue that they want and need to do something about.

• MORE P.E.I. NEWS |TimCard leads RCMP to P.E.I. National Park theft suspects
• MORE P.E.I. NEWS |Prince County Hospital helipad repairs taking too long, says P.E.I. Opposition