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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner/2012/sep/19/international-park-ing-day-manchester-friends-of-the-earth
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| How green is my parking bay? Very, if you are in Manchester, this Friday | How green is my parking bay? Very, if you are in Manchester, this Friday |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Manchester is going to be even lovelier than usual this Friday, 21 September, when the local branch of Friends of the Earth joins other leading cities all over the world in marking International Park(ing) Day. | Manchester is going to be even lovelier than usual this Friday, 21 September, when the local branch of Friends of the Earth joins other leading cities all over the world in marking International Park(ing) Day. |
| This is a bright idea which sees the temporary transformation of metered parking bays into mini-parks whose design encourages green activists to run gentle but imaginative riot. Participants can use real or artificial grass, plants, portable ponds, beach sand, deckchairs and anything else which makes a small oasis of countryside in the middle of town. | This is a bright idea which sees the temporary transformation of metered parking bays into mini-parks whose design encourages green activists to run gentle but imaginative riot. Participants can use real or artificial grass, plants, portable ponds, beach sand, deckchairs and anything else which makes a small oasis of countryside in the middle of town. |
| It coincides with the pan-European In Town Without My Car Day, highlighted in Sarah Hartley's Guardian Northerner post on Monday. | |
| Catherine Thompson, co-ordinator of Manchester FoE, also anticipates public use of each tiny bit of greenery, promising 'cupcakes and sparkling conversation' as part of the mix. If you are coming from Bury, you can bring black pudding, Wiganers and Adlingtonians will no doubt have pies and those of us from across the border can supply liquorice, rhubarb crumble and, of course, Yorkshire puddings. | Catherine Thompson, co-ordinator of Manchester FoE, also anticipates public use of each tiny bit of greenery, promising 'cupcakes and sparkling conversation' as part of the mix. If you are coming from Bury, you can bring black pudding, Wiganers and Adlingtonians will no doubt have pies and those of us from across the border can supply liquorice, rhubarb crumble and, of course, Yorkshire puddings. |
| Those who can't make it in person may like to enter the associated Park(ing) Day photo competition by sending in messages or designs which you would have realised, had you been able to be there. Redeye the Photography Nework and Unicorn co-operative grocery have donated prizes, so you might win one of those as well. That's open until the end of the month. | Those who can't make it in person may like to enter the associated Park(ing) Day photo competition by sending in messages or designs which you would have realised, had you been able to be there. Redeye the Photography Nework and Unicorn co-operative grocery have donated prizes, so you might win one of those as well. That's open until the end of the month. |
| The point of the day is to open people's eyes to how much better a place such as Manchester would be with fewer spaces for cars and more for greenery. Thompson says: | The point of the day is to open people's eyes to how much better a place such as Manchester would be with fewer spaces for cars and more for greenery. Thompson says: |
| Over the last 50 years our cities have been developed to make more and more space for the car. Supermarkets and malls, with massive car parks, have often overpowered local businesses in city locations. At the same time our streets have become noisy, polluted and unpleasant - these policies have high costs in terms of air pollution, congestion and health. | Over the last 50 years our cities have been developed to make more and more space for the car. Supermarkets and malls, with massive car parks, have often overpowered local businesses in city locations. At the same time our streets have become noisy, polluted and unpleasant - these policies have high costs in terms of air pollution, congestion and health. |
| Imagine if our cities had fewer spaces for cars and more room for people. We are inviting people to help us make parking spaces more sociable, fun and colourful. Join us on the day or send us a photo of how people can help make grey spaces become green | Imagine if our cities had fewer spaces for cars and more room for people. We are inviting people to help us make parking spaces more sociable, fun and colourful. Join us on the day or send us a photo of how people can help make grey spaces become green |
Last year's Day saw 975 installations in 162 cities and this time aims to be bigger. See online here for Manchester's details and if you know of any related events elsewhere in the north, please tell the world in the comment thread. | Last year's Day saw 975 installations in 162 cities and this time aims to be bigger. See online here for Manchester's details and if you know of any related events elsewhere in the north, please tell the world in the comment thread. |