Seattle PARK(ing) Day Spaces Celebrate Urban Agriculture

City of Seattle Urban agriculture PARK site plan (partial view). See the full view image here.

Parking space urban ag

By Emily Knudsen
Urban Farm Hub
September 8th, 2010

Excerpt:

Seattle’s Department of Transportation (SDOT) plans to put an urban ag spin on their parking spaces. To coincide with the declared “Year of Urban Agriculture,” three parking spaces designated for the city will be transformed into mini-urban farms (complete with edible plants and a Kippen House chicken coop!), and people will be dispensing tips on gardening in planting strips.

Not only will this provide an opportunity to learn more about how agriculture can be integrated into the city, it’s also a chance to meet others interested in creating a more livable urban setting by integrating food production. Allison Schwartz, the organizer for SDOT’s PARK(ing) Day plans, says the urban agriculture theme was chosen because “it’s an exciting time here in Seattle, with recent code changes and an overall sense of enthusiasm about backyard gardens, urban farms, local growers, and creating community through food. Setting up a park also gives city staff a different opportunity to connect with people on the street, share info on current projects, and get feedback on the work we do.” Staff from SDOT, the Department of Planning and Development, Department of Neighborhoods and others will be at the Columbia Street and 5th Avenue parking spaces throughout the day.

See the full story here.