Park Here
spring 2008 | proposal and installation

As walking is my only mode of transportation in Providence, I spend a great deal of time traveling between my home and my studio building. My route takes me through neighborhoods of quaint tree-lined streets and pastel-painted houses of the residential East Side, along the quiet boardwalk of the Providence River esplanade, and finally into downtown Providence where (parking) space is at a premium. This is a small area devoted almost entirely to commerce, packed with the cars of daily commuters who do not take public transportation.

I made a map to show just how many parking lots and garages exist compared to the very small green spaces for public enjoyment. Burnside Park, located off the city’s central bus depot is the only public park in the area. To put it diplomatically, it is not a place where you find families sharing a picnic. There is a pre-school a block away from my studio that uses a gravel lot next to a parking lot as their recess area. While children can certainly be creative in their play habits, the location feels depressing and a even dangerous given is proximity to cars.

Park Here is a two-part project: site-specific installation and proposal to bring attention to the lack of green areas for the residents of Providence and its greater area communities to gather and enjoy. The installation took place May 14, 2008 and consisted of the word PARK made of modualar pieces of grass sod. Taking up the footprint of an average car, the grassy area was a modest monument to the loss of green areas and a silent protest to the grey areas. Park Here encourages the establishment of safe public parks where people can slow down, consider walking instead of driving, and breathe deeply.

The proposal portion of Park Here highlights other locations throughout the city where similar installations can appear, to draw attention to the need to help inspire action by city residents.