Parking

Park(ing) Day 2013: DC Edition

There's only one reason to be inside on a beautiful day like today, and that is to upload pictures of this beautiful day. More to the point, it's Park(ing) Day, a celebration of better uses for on-street parking spaces. All over this city, and in cities around the country, temporary parklets have sprung up in spaces normally reserved for car storage. They're a real-life illustration of how much more vibrant our cities could be if we let people take up street space instead of cars.

By Tanya Snyder

3:01 PM EDT on September 20, 2013

There’s only one reason to be inside on a beautiful day like today, and that is to upload pictures of this beautiful day. More to the point, it’s Park(ing) Day, a celebration of better uses for on-street parking spaces. All over this city, and in cities around the country, temporary parklets have sprung up in spaces normally reserved for car storage. They’re a real-life illustration of how much more vibrant our cities could be if we let people take up street space instead of cars.

Here are a few scenes from DC’s Park(ing) Day this morning. Send in pictures from your own Park(ing) Day!

(All photos by yours truly.)

How was your Park(ing) Day? We can’t wait to see your pictures.

Tanya Snyder

Tanya became Streetsblog's Capitol Hill editor in September 2010 after covering Congress for Pacifica Radios Washington bureau and for public radio stations around the country. She lives car-free in a transit-oriented and bike-friendly neighborhood of Washington, DC.

Parking | Parks | Washington DC

More from Streetsblog USA

Car-Free Streets

How (And Why) To Capture the Livable Streets Movement on Film

Clarence Eckerson Jr. of Streetfilms talks with "The War on Cars" about how he uses filmmaking as a tool to make cities better.

Streetsblog

November 10, 2026

Today's Headlines

Tuesday’s Headlines Are Still Surfing the Blue Wave

Politicians may not realize it, but U.S. voters are overwhelmingly in favor of transit.

Blake Aued

November 10, 2026

Streetsblog California |Vehicle size

The Growing Vehicle Problem That California Needs to Address

As pedestrian and cyclist deaths rise, the growing size and weight of American vehicles are making streets more dangerous. Here's some solutions: tax oversized vehicles, improve safety ratings and make smaller electric vehicles a more practical option for everyday trips.

Steve Price

November 9, 2026

Advocacy

How to Fight a Freeway 101

A new guide gives advocates the basics to building a campaign against harmful infrastructure in their neighborhoods — and the best time to start is now.