PHOTOS: Inhabitat Celebrates PARK(ing) Day Coast to Coast!

Yesterday marked the 5th annual <a href="http://parkingday.org/">PARK(ing) Day</a>, a worldwide event that gives the public a chance reclaim a bit of pavement in the car ridden urban landscape and turn it into a gorgeous bit of green space for people to relax and play. This year we couldn’t think of a better way to get into the spirit of the movement than to send <a href="http://inhabitat.com/about/">our very own team</a> out on their bikes, ready comb their city’s streets for these little green gems. From <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/nyc">New York</a> to Chicago, to Ann Arbor and all the way over to the gorgeous <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/sf">Bay Area</a>, check out our exclusive snaps of PARK(ing) Day - as this year, we go cross country!

<strong>Mike, San Francisco</strong>: This mini 'wilderness' PARK(ing) space in San Francisco came complete with live bears!

<strong>Mike, San Francisco</strong>: True Sake set up a mini soccer field for Park(ing) Day 2010.

<strong>Mike, San Francisco</strong>: The Mission Greenbelt Project set up a beautiful park filled with local plants.

<strong>Mike, San Francisco</strong>: The San Francisco Bike Coalition set up shop next to Valencia Cyclery to distribute information on cycling in the city.

<strong>Mike, San Francisco</strong>: Earlier this year rebar installed a permanent park on 22nd street as part of their Pavement to Parks initiative.

<strong>Mike, San Francisco</strong>: Zonal set up an awesome art park featuring installations by Mark Baugh-Sasaki in support of the Hayes Valley Art Coalition.

<strong>Mike, San Francisco</strong>: Urban Hedgeron teamed up with the Mission Greenbelt Project to showcase these beautiful bug houses!

<strong>Diane, NYC</strong>: Ordinary Heroes in Extraordinary Times created a bench space with live music right along one of the busiest parts of 6th Avenue.

<strong>Diane, NYC</strong>: Street Easy went for a relaxing hammock, haystack and free wi-fi combo.

<strong>Diane, NYC</strong>: The Van Alen Institute recently opened a new gallery a space. A center focused on architecture, it comes as no surprise their parking spot was designed to be an extension of the building's facade.

<strong>Diane, NYC</strong>: Look, it's Lisa Turtle! One of my personal favorites for their clever throwback to a 90's television classic, this bunch went for "Saved By the Bell: European Vacation" as their theme.

<strong>Diane, NYC</strong>: No Longer Empty created an awesome spot in the East Village, which invited passers to create some gorgeous, colorful balloons. The group aimed to turn their parking space into a community art project.

<strong>Diane, NYC</strong>: NYU Green is one of the university's initiatives on getting the word on sustainability out. Chips, dips and free CFL bulbs were the order of the day.

<strong>Diane, NYC</strong>: Brooklyn got in on the action too! Gnarly Vines in Fort Greene setup a fun space for adults to sip some wine while kids had their faces painted!

<strong>Diane, NYC</strong>: The perfect after school activity, kids lined up for their chance to get makeshift mustaches and rainbows painted of their faces.

<strong>Philip, Ann Arbor</strong>:In Ann Arbor, Michigan, Park(ing) Day was on Main Street in front of <a href="http://workantileexchange.com">Workantile Exchange</a>, a coworking space, and adjacent to a downtown bike rack already installed in a former parking space by the city.

<strong>Philip, Ann Arbor</strong>: The space included potted trees, chairs and tables, a scrabble game, live music, and a <a href="http://www.homelessdave.com/totterhome.htm">teeter-totter</a>.

<strong>Philip, Ann Arbor</strong>: And for those not ready to teeter or totter, there was plenty of space to sit, relax, and for the more enterprising, get some work done!

<strong>Lea, Chicago</strong>: Matt Nardella, principal architect for Moss Design, organized a Park(ing) spot that transformed a city block in the Southport neighborhood of Chicago into a “bicycle refueling station.” Videos of the site can be found <a href="http://bit.ly/bTY884">here. </a>

<strong>Lea, Chicago</strong>: Masters students from College of Urban Planning &amp; Policy take over a spot on the University of Illinois, Chicago campus. Their space uses donated sod, pallets, and shrubs from local companies that they will return or reuse after the space is dismantled. They have created seating from sod laid over bags of salt, and a bench from a wood pallet.