Great idea. This is a model that could permanently improve public space in our cities. Would like to see the green patches at the corners of streets so it would have a traffic calming effect as well as concentrate public activities.

yes cause having a bunch louses around a street corner. What calming effect do you think running over a unattended child would be? patches of greenery belong in places say, the park or rural areas. This was a childish act when their positive energies could have been geared for something more cause worthy

If I wanted to park there, I'd be really goddamn annoyed. The trees can suck it. Thanks alot.

i agree with will langdale. in a big city parking is a f**ked problem as it is. this little "urban intervention" probably had the effect of screwing someone out of a parking space and adding more stress to the equation. but of course, some tree hugger thinks its a positive statement and that he should be praised for never growing out of adolescent rebellion. you wanna impress me? work to build a park, legally. otherwise you're just a little shit who thinks his agenda is more important than everyone else's world. who's city is it anyway?

Um, it's a "park"ing space.
Probably with a 2 hour "park"ing limit.
Get it? "Park"ing?
Humor- it's what keeps you sane.

Get anger management classes, dude. Really.

Ride a bike and never have a problem finding a parking space. Our society is insane, driving around like idiots destroying habitats for wildlife and people. Get a grip.

What exactly is a "socially conscious skinhead"? I ask in all sincerity, because the skinheads I have known were pretty much just violent, hate-spewing bigots.

Not unlike the comment made here.

its his/her city.
and yours.

They paid the meter, they can do whatever they want with the space, whether it is parking a car there or parking a park. I think it is amusing.

i'm a druid and I find this like a warm bowl of chili on Ramadan.

I saw this cool report the other day that parking spaces out number cars 3:1 ( http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070911/lf_afp/lifestyleusauto_070911215118 )

Food for thought.

Love the cycling comment! Ride on!

Cyclists are often the root of the problems they perceive; the 'idiot drivers' you refer to are probably doing everything they can to avoid people who are foolishly riding along in the midst of rush hour traffic. I see it every single day. If you want to kill yourself to lower the CO2 levels, be my guest... but leave my family out of it please!

That site about parking spaces outnumbering drivers 3:1 was done by counting spots in a midsize county in the midwest. There is no way that that is true inside a big city such as NYC or LA

San Francisco does have an parking issue; however there isn't much need for a car in a 3 mile by 3 mile city that hosts some of the best transit in the country. I ride a bike to commute and find this the most logical way for me to commute to my downtown job, as it 1.2 miles away and takes 10-20minutes, no gas and no parking fees. Use your odometer, check your wallet and then your bathroom scale see if your commute makes sense to drive in. Mine did not perhaps yours does. This is a funny prank and I laugh whenever I see it, even if in not a hippy and could care less about the enviroment to be blunt and honest. It just makes sense, keeps money in my wallet and keeps me from getting a 1000 differnt American health issues.

What a bunch of grouches. We know it is not a thing that will happen more than once. So just try and enjoy the concept instead of stomping all over it. try smiling...it will make you look nicer.

Russ,
Bikers have the right to be in the road, if there is no bike lane they can take a full lane.
And everyone, please get over yourselves.

My my, isn't everyone self-important? Isn't everyone angry? Isn't everyone an art expert? It's an art installation, guys, and thankfully one with a sense of humor. This would have provoked nothing but applause a few decades back. How quickly our right to call ourselves a "civilization:" has declined. Bikes are cool. Art is cool. Humor is cool. Cars, particularly the petrochemicals that fuel them, are the root of all evil.

I think this is a pretty funny thing to do...I'd love to see how they set it up. Or hear some reactions from people on the streets.

I think it's a brilliant idea, Awareness raising as well we have taken the planet and created a concrete jungle a parking space filled with Oxygen promoting plant life is a calming place to relax, most people are in such a hurry, to tailgate and get to work because they wake up late and find themselves in a rush i would love to live in a city that put an emphasis on a tiny bit of plant life, it sends the message that the environment is more important than your pocketbook and your parking space. I hope to see more bikes, and more public transportation used. the people who have given complaints are the same people who drive SUV's, and drive alone and are in the greatest need for parking spots big enough to fit their gigantic unnecessary vehicles. I bet they are also the main complainers of gas price increases, give it a rest! or take a rest in the "park"ing space! haha!

wow, like relax. Mr John sais: Bikes are cool, art is cool, humor is cool, and so is driving cool.Cars are not the root of all evil. There is no root of all evil. There's a little evil in milk, there's a little evil in scotch, there's a little evil in my grade five language arts teacher. There's a little evil on my street and with some of the people that I meet. I'm a little evil. The park thing is just a simple little funny installation. Enjoy it. Go sit down on that bench and take a load off. Feel the breeze against your cheek. Breathe.

The meter was paid. Harmless novelty is good.

suberite is dead on! I prefer my evil bourbon flavored.
riverken

I made a big cockydoody today. What a realeaf! It plopped out. Now I have behaved just like the assholes who post stuff against the miniparks idea.

CARYATIDS are statues of female goddesses who are actually columns holding up a roof. George W. Bush is an asshole who is holding up progress. I love to park on top of trees, astroturf and plastic benches. Nov shmoz ka pop.

As a car-driving Yankee ... I agree. We Yanks need to use more public transportation, less Hummers, Expeditions and those idiotic Cadillac SUV's and actually consider the impact we have on the environment. We're not all wanks, y'know.

What did this accomplish exactly? What did anyone think that this possibly COULD accomplish?? Don't regurgitate some post-modern BS about "raising awareness". Nothing but screwing some poor bastard who's already late for work out of a spot and making some immature self-absorbed hippies (yes, I know the immature self-absorbed part is redundant) feel like they're making a difference. They're not. Grow up and work for meaningful change. This is the kind of stunt that keeps people from taking you folks seriously.

Why do all of yall think it is such a big deal? I mean if he paid the meter he could sit in the space on a lawn chair for all I care. Plus in a big city such as San Francisco why even drive, there is plenty of public transportation there. And does that one guy really think its bad to ride a bike instead of a car? Thats just being an idiot.

vince is an idiot trying to sound like he knows sf. 3 by miles not quite buddy that'd be alittle small. its 7 by 7 and thats still really small in my opinion tokeyo is 50 by 50 miles. secondly its not a prank its just some goofy thing the city does. you would know this if you actually LIVED in the city and not 1.2 miles away which only takes you 10-20 minutes to get work. and you don't have to be a hippie in order to appreciate and be concerned about the enviornment. its a very real problem because of idiots like you.

and all these people feeling for the person late for work and the mini park taking "their" parking spot should shut the fuck up. if it wasn't that stupid lil park it would be some fatass fuckin suv or prius(its one or the other.)

muni kicks ass use it(if you live in the city) i'm not saying you gotta just take the bus thats just not practical. i skate, take the bus, drive an explorer, walk, stagger, what ever is most convenient for what i'm doing.

Hey, really cool idea actually. I don't understand the people with the malice here. Why don't you better use your time then sit and comment on how bad someones work is. Keep up the good work!

Somehow I am skeptical that someone who'd deliver such seething remarks over a parking space is capable of acknowledging any sort of "meaningful change" in this world. Also, I believe the hateful comments here hint at the purpose of the artwork, as there is no reason this should piss anyone off so much. Unless what they say about the city is true. But perhaps that's a bit too post-modern for you sensitive asphalt-lickers out there. I pity you. So do the trees from which you are granted life-sustaining breath.

Whatever happened to doing something just for the pure humor of it? Is that relegated to Anonymous on the internet now? Who cares if it takes up a paid spot or if it's some hippy BS. Who cares if it's just about making a point? Take it at face value for the joke it is and ignore it if you like taking life too seriously. It's a fairly harmless, funny play on the word and a very temporary one at that.

So wait.
If the person had parked their car there, nobody'd have a problem with it.
But because they decided to have a temporary park there, everyone's up in arms about it.
I don't see the difference, or the big deal.
It's a parking spot that's available for 2 hours of usage, and someone decided to use it for 2 hours. Doesn't matter what exactly they put there, only that they used it.

If you're going to get mad at them for using a 2 hour parking spot, it's only fair to get mad at everyone else using them as well.