Members of Georgia Tech’s Student Planning Association transformed two metered parking spots in Technology Square into a temporary public park on Friday, September 20.  The informal park is part of an annual open-source project called PARK(ing) Day, which aims to start a dialogue on how urban space is allocated. Begun in 2005 by a San Francisco art and design studio, the project has evolved to include individuals and organizations around the world.

The coinciding Georgia Tech Family Weekend generated a large amount of foot traffic by the event, with students, professors, parents, and other Atlantans stopping by the park to enjoy music, games, and street food. "The park was a huge success. We achieved the goal of creating a welcoming space and got people off the street and into the park," said event co-organizer Marion Phillips. Fellow Student Planning Association member Greg Giuffrida added, "If it gets people to start thinking about all the space devoted to cars, we have been successful." While the event takes place only once a year, the Student Planning Association received requests to poach the parking spaces on a monthly basis.