This Friday, Sept. 21 parking spaces throughout the city of Austin will be transformed into temporary parks called parklets as part of a worldwide movement called Park(ing) Day. Park(ing) Day runs from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and is designed to encourage public engagement and dialogue as well as recognize the need for more open spaces in cities, according to a city of Austin news release. Residents, artists and activists will be transforming parking spaces into public spaces. The event was started by San Francisco-based Rebar in 2005 as a way to reclaim spaces meant for vehicles, according to information from Rebar. “You have all of these public spaces, these public parking spaces, that sit vacant or unutilized or utilized by a single-occupancy vehicle for hours hours a day. What could you do with it if it wasn’t an empty car?” said Paloma Amayo-Ryan, transportation supervisor with the Austin Transportation Department. The city of Austin has been participating in Park(ing) Day for four years, and in 2015, it implemented an official permitting process to register a public parking space, Amayo-Ryan said. This year, 12 permits were submitted with most being located in downtown Austin. In the past, people have transformed spaces into comfortable areas to sit and relax or even lounge in a hammock. Many spaces include shade and plants, said Logan Saldivar, an associate with landscape architecture and planning firm TBG Partners, which has been involved for all four years. “From a design standpoint, a lot of new urbanists, planners, architects and landscape architects tend to gravitate toward the event,” she said. “When you put personality to what urban spaces could become people can envision it a lot easier.” Amayo-Ryan said if passersby notice a Park(ing) Day space, they do not need an invitation to enjoy the space. Anyone participating in Park(ing) Day is encouraged to share their experience on social media and use the hashtag #PARKingDAYATX. Several locations in Austin are participating, including: