Park(ing) Day Comes To Bel Air

On Friday parking spaces will serve as open space in Bel Air as artists and other residents take part in the global event dubbed "PARK(ing) Day."

From 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. Friday, several local businesses will transform metered parking spaces on Main Street into themed parks, according to a release from Bel Air Downtown Alliance.

The transformed spaces will be between Office Street and Pennsylvania Avenue and run alongside lunchtime concerts from noon-1 p.m. on Office Street.

Started by Rebar, a San Francisco-based design firm, PARK(ing) Day, "challenges people to rethink the way streets are used and reinforces the need for broad-based changes to urban infrastructure," the release states.

Craig Ward, President and CEO of Frederick Ward Associates is organizing the Bel Air event with the support of Bel Air Downtown Alliance.

"Sustainability is an important issue, to us, the Town of Bel Air, Harford County, the State of Maryland, and to the 28 other Maryland Main Street communities. Anything we can do in our community to promote the importance and immediacy of sustainability, we’re going to do it. Hopefully this will be a launching point for us to develop additional activities and conversations about sustainability in our community," Scott Walker, director of the Bel Air Downtown Alliance, said in the release.

Participating businesses include Frederick Ward Associates, Freedom Federal Credit Union, Edmeades & Stromdahl, and CTSi.

Check out this map to see what other cities are participating.

What do you think of the idea? What else do you think Bel Air can do to become a more sustainable community?