Norristown's Park(ing) Day Creates Mini Parks Out Of Pavement

NORRISTOWN, PA — Montgomery County is helping to host a unique event to raise awareness for public space in several local municipalities, including Norristown.

During National Parking Day, citizens take a parking space in town and turn it into a temporary mini public park. The day is part of a global initiative challenging citizens to reevaluate the way they see public spaces and how they can be utilized.

The event will take place on Friday, Sept. 21. Four different spaces will be transformed in front of the Montgomery County Courthouse on Swede Street from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Each spot will have a different focus:

• One spot will be run by the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services. The spot will include a fitness game, relaxation, a place to eat to lunch, and a chance to win a prize.
• The Planning Commission's spot will be a "mini farmland scene" just in time for fall, with hay bales for seating, information on the county's local food movement, a guidebook on residential agriculture, the just approved Bike Montco plan, and much more.
• Keep Norristown Beautiful and the PA Department of Environmental Protection have named their space "Our Legacy - Litter and Sustainability in Norristown." The space includes sculpture work — "Consumasaurus Rex" — aimed at highlighting the environmental damages caused by throwaway culture and overconsumption.
• The Norristown Recreation Department will have a space called "Gone Fishing," offering a spot to relax, reflect, and share information on upcoming events and the new recreation center.

Image via Montgomery County from Park(ing) Day 2017 in Norristown