Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

A Green Space Replaces Asphalt for Earth Day

http://youtu.be/akogRBU7QMg

A small green space popped up in downtown Rochester Tuesday.

In honor of Earth Day, a tiny park took to the place of what had been four city parking spaces.

Mark Maddalina is sustainable design director for SWBR Architects that constructed the green space with the help of local business partners, including Batavia Turf.

“[We] take up four asphalt parking spaces and reclaim it with a little green intervention as a new public park. So, Broccolo came out and brought plants and small trees,” said Maddalina. “We have benches here from Java's and later on as this grows we'll see the furniture as well.”

The idea comes from a San Francisco tradition called Park(ing) day.

“Well, there are benefits to human interaction with nature. It's good on a day like today remember why ands reconnect a little bit,” said Maddalina. “Just the simple benefit of being on a lawn in a park takes you out of the urban environment, even though we're so close to everything. It makes you rethink things a little bit.”

This is the second year the urban green space was erected. Organizers say public response has been positive.