Park(ing) Day 2011: Pop-Up Parks Spring Up Around the World – Exclusive Photos!

Happy <a href="http://www.parkingday.org/">Park(ing) day</a> everyone! Today marks the 6th anniversary of this fantastic celebration of public space, and impromptu public parks are popping up in parking spaces across the states and around the world! If you haven't had a chance to step outside and check out the newly sprouted patches of green in your neighborhood, fear not - Team Inhabitat is out hitting the streets to bring you the most incredible <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/park">parks</a> from San Francisco, to New York City, Chicago, and beyond. Hit the jump to see our favorite parks so far, and be sure to check back soon as we'll be updating our post throughout the day!

<em>San Francisco - </em><a href="http://www.intersticearchitects.com/">Interstice Architects</a> transformed a parking spot in front of <a href="http://826valencia.org/">826 Valencia</a> into a nursery for a tree.

Picking up on the nonprofit's pirate theme, their "PAARRRK-LET" is constructed almost entirely from recycled shipping pallets and is held together using no-screw no-glue ties. The volume of this parking space is 800 cubic feet, which is equivalent to the minimum amount of soil needed for healthy tree to flourish.

<em>San Francisco - </em><a href="http://ritualroasters.com/">Ritual Roasters</a> was still hard at work this morning setting up a massive Parking Day installation that spans four full parking spaces. When we checked back at the end of the day we found out that it was a big red barn complete with a petting zoo!

<em>San Francisco - </em><a href="http://greenroofalliance.wordpress.com/">The Green Roof Alliance</a> set up an adorable green roofed house for one very lucky pooch.

<a href="http://prisonyoga.com/links.php">Prison Yoga</a> rolled out a set of mats at their pop-up park and invited passersby to partake in a yoga session!

<em>San Francisco - </em>The mini eco home is outfitted with a bright orange <a href="http://inhabitat.com/rainwater-h2og-rainwater-storage-system/">H2OG rainwater storage system</a> and a flourishing green roof planted with succulents and local plants from <a href="http://www.floragrubb.com/idx/index.php">Flora Grubb Gardens</a>.

<em>San Francisco - </em>People also flocked to several permanent parklets installed over the past year by Parking Day founders <a href="http://rebargroup.org/">Rebar</a>.

<em>San Francisco - </em>A Triceratops tops the Deepistan National Parklet - a permanent public parklet installed along Valencia street by<a href="http://rebargroup.org/">Rebar</a>.

<em>San Francisco - </em>Children from the <a href="http://www.sffriendsschool.org/">San Francisco New Friends School</a> set up a brilliant display of recycled paper flowers in front of the school.

<em>San Francisco - </em>Kids at the <a href="http://www.sffriendsschool.org/">San Francisco New Friends School</a> encourage passing cars to "GO GREEN!" while holding up signs.

<em>San Francisco - </em><a href="http://fourbarrelcoffee.com/">Four Barrel Coffee Roasters</a> got into the Parking Day spirit by teaming up with <a href="http://www.citycarshare.org/">City Car Share</a> to offer park-goers $1.00 off a cup of French pressed coffee.

<em>San Francisco - </em><a href="http://www.citycarshare.org/">City Car Share</a> set up a park next door to Four Barrel with information on its program and initiatives.

<em>Queens, New York City</em> - Through the <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycwasteless/html/compost/compostproj.shtml">NYC Compost Project</a>, the <a href="http://www.nyc.gov/html/dsny/html/collection/refuse.shtml">Department of Sanitation's Bureau of Waste Prevention, Reuse and Recycling</a>, encourages residents to compost yard trimmings and food scraps in their own backyard and community gardens. It's the least expensive way to recycle organic waste, and it recycles nutrients close to where they can be best used.

<em>Queens, New York City</em> - Gina and Jess from the Queens Botanical Gardens.

<em>Queens, New York City</em> - The inside of a worm compost bin.

<em>Queens, New York City</em> - Some of the worms discovered in Africa and Australia are actually that long!

<em>Queens, New York City</em> - Worms love these fruits!

<em>Brooklyn</em> - This Park(ing) Spot is being hosted by <a href="http://hoshyoga.org/">Hosh Yoga</a> in Brooklyn's McCarren Park.

<em>Brooklyn</em> - Visitors are welcome to enjoy some yoga and tea!

<em>Brooklyn</em> - A close-up of Red Lantern Bikes' low-key spot.

<em>Brooklyn</em> - <a href="http://www.redlanternbicycles.com/">Red Lantern Bicycles</a> kept their spot simple, with ample space for bikes to pull over and park.

<em>Brooklyn</em> - Restaurants <a href="http://www.brooklynexposed.com/index.php/business/profile/fork_cafe/">Fork</a>, Brooklyn XOXO, and Pillow on Myrtle Avenue turn a parking spot into a 'Hot Spot'.

<em>Brooklyn</em> - A great spot to spend the afternoon sipping tea or enjoying a sandwich.

<em>Brooklyn</em> - <a href="http://www.brooklynstoneboutique.com/servlet/StoreFront">Brooklyn Stone Boutique</a> creates a lush little spot complemented by ballons.

<em>Brooklyn</em> - <a href="http://www.greeninbklyn.com/">Green in BKLYN</a> shoppers enjoy the store's small spot, chatting the afternoon away.

<em>Chicago</em> - <a href="http://chicago.architectureforhumanity.org/">Architecture for Humanity</a>'s parklet in Logan Square had some of the cushiest sod in town. The installation was dressed with a hanging garden made of empty beer cans from a nearby liquor store that were filled with plants

<em>Chicago</em> - Tying into the <a href="http://www.uic.edu/uic/">University of Illinois at Chicago office of Sustainability</a> Park(ing) site, a group of students, mainly studying urban planning, set up on the opposite side of campus.

<em>Chicago</em> - Their sod space includes lounge seating, benches, and the UIC student favorite past time - a game of bags.

<em>Chicago</em> - Some of the plants int <a href="http://chicago.architectureforhumanity.org/">Architecture for Humanity</a>'s parking space looked like standard houseplants; others, they told us, were simply weeds that they picked from a nearby alley.

<em>Chicago</em> - Michael Salvatore is preparing to open Heritage Bicycles in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood, and he claimed the parking space in front, handing out free coffee and showing off his custom bicycles.

<em>Chicago</em> - For Park(ing) Day 2011, <a href="http://www.moss-design.com/">Moss Design</a> partnered with Southport Grocery in Lakeview, offering expanded seating for the cafe, as well as on-site bike repairs

<em>Chicago</em> - Matt Nardella of <a href="http://www.moss-design.com/">Moss Design</a> is a grizzled veteran of Park(ing) Day. For his third Park(ing) Day installation, he took about five parking spaces in Lakeview and offered games, a lounge area, and bike repairs.

<em>Chicago</em> - <a href="http://www.urbanhabitatchicago.org/">Urban Habitat Chicago</a> rolled out some sod in front of Revolution Brewing in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood and offered yoga classes and bike repairs.

<em>Chicago</em> - Yoga was a nationwide theme on Park(ing) Day 2011