GREENLIGHTING THE TRAFFIC PROBLEM

Remember The PARK(ing) Project? On September 18, Philly finally joined the 50+ cities that partake in the annual phenomenon of National PARK(ing) Day, and now we’ve got the pics to prove it.

All throughout Philly, those mythological entities known as parking spots were transformed into mini-parks, complete with grass, benches, and random hipster types hanging out.

Over 30 local groups took part in this global event, with art exhibits and educational displays giving the whole thing a distinct Philly-culture twist.

There’s even a Google Group — we’ve been drinking the Gool-Aid long enough to know this only bosts street cred. And now that Philly has officially put itself on the proverbial map with a solid urban greenification statement, we would’ve liked to see the Google vans and satellites swing by that day to put it on the digital one as well.

Because, while street cred is great when it comes to activism and cultural statements, Street View is always better — nothing gets the word out better than some 1′s-and-0′s help from the Big G.

>>> via Bicycle Coalition

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STREET PICKINGS

As seen in the oh-so-rebellious streets of Philadelphia:

Notice also the little (decapitated) red guy on the sign — a seemingly brand new addition to the infamous Toynbee guerrilla mystery. (Remember that?)

Meanwhile, if you’re in Philly and bike-minded, be sure to check out the velo + city: the social history of the bicycle exhibition at the Lisa M Reisman gallery — a collection of vintage prints, posters and ephemera, from the penny-farthing to the diamond frame.

Conveniently, it’s right off of Rittenhouse Square (1714 Rittenhouse Square St), the very locale of the above fence — so savor the Philly bike scene experience in its entirety with the delectable combo of art and law-breaking.

Brain Pickings takes 450+ hours a month to curate and edit across the different platforms, and remains banner-free. If it brings you any joy and inspiration, please consider a modest donation – it lets me know I'm doing something right.