Knoxville TN, September 20, 2025
News Summary
Knoxville is participating in Park(ing) Day, turning parking spaces into vibrant mini-parks and lounges today. This international initiative, now in its 20th year, promotes reimagining public spaces in urban areas. Since officially joining in 2018, Knoxville’s event has evolved into a community celebration, focusing on creativity and engagement among participants. The new pedestrian zone allows installations to remain until 9 p.m., enhancing interaction. An awards ceremony is planned to recognize creative efforts, encouraging discussions on urban design and community connections.
Knoxville is celebrating Park(ing) Day today, transforming curbside parking spaces on Market Street into a variety of vibrant mini-parks, lounges, and gathering places. The event kicks off at noon and is part of an international initiative celebrating its 20th year, which aims to reimagine the use of public space in urban environments.
Park(ing) Day, which originated in 2005 through the efforts of the San Francisco design collective Rebar, began with a single metered parking spot that was converted into a temporary pocket park. This concept highlights the extensive portion of urban real estate allocated to cars and advocates for reclaiming these spaces for community engagement and activities.
Every third Friday in September, people globally come together to transform parking spots into public parks for just one day. Knoxville officially joined this initiative in 2018, marking its commitment to fostering community connection through the temporary installations. Prior to the city’s official involvement, informal Park(ing) Day festivities took place over several years, with some local participants taking the lead.
This event has evolved into an unofficial holiday for the local community, drawing significant participation and interest. Past participant Alan has typically led discussions surrounding parking and public space. This year’s event is organized under the guidance of Dustin Durham, who serves as the founder and executive director of YES! Knoxville. Under his leadership, the significance of rethinking urban design to prioritize human connections over vehicular spaces will be highlighted.
Durham points out the repercussions of car-centric planning, which includes climate change, pollution, and social isolation. Park(ing) Day encourages community dialogues on enhancing interactions when people can engage in walking, biking, or utilizing public transit, rather than relying predominantly on vehicles.
Participating teams this year will adhere to four simple design prompts, aiming to create installations that encourage creativity while promoting community engagement. Notable changes from previous years include the extended duration of installations, allowed to remain until 9 p.m. due to the new pedestrian zone on Market and Union streets. This adjustment aims to attract increased foot traffic, which includes local residents, tourists, and UAB football fans.
A panel will evaluate each Park(ing) Day installation, and a public People’s Choice vote will determine the winners. An awards ceremony is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., celebrating the creativity and effort invested by participating teams. The intent behind these playful interventions in urban planning is to stimulate meaningful conversations about the future of Knoxville, fostering an atmosphere conducive to vibrant street life and supporting local businesses, often overlooked in traditional car-centric designs.
Through this transformative day, the participants aim to challenge the status quo of urban design and create inviting spaces that people are compelled to occupy, enhancing community engagement in Knoxville.
FAQ
What is Park(ing) Day?
Park(ing) Day is an international initiative that reimagines the use of public space in cities. Every third Friday in September, parking spaces worldwide are transformed into public parks for a day.
When did Knoxville officially join Park(ing) Day?
Knoxville officially joined Park(ing) Day in 2018 with a community installation on Gay Street.
What are the changes to this year’s installations?
This year’s installations can remain until 9 p.m. due to the new pedestrian zone on Market and Union, contrasting previous years when installations were dismantled by mid-afternoon.
What is the goal of Park(ing) Day?
The goal is to foster vibrant street life to support local businesses, enhance community engagement, and challenge the status quo of urban design.
{
“@context”: “https://schema.org”,
“@type”: “FAQPage”,
“mainEntity”: [
{
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “What is Park(ing) Day?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “Park(ing) Day is an international initiative that reimagines the use of public space in cities. Every third Friday in September, parking spaces worldwide are transformed into public parks for a day.”
}
},
{
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “When did Knoxville officially join Park(ing) Day?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “Knoxville officially joined Park(ing) Day in 2018 with a community installation on Gay Street.”
}
},
{
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “What are the changes to this year’s installations?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “This year’s installations can remain until 9 p.m. due to the new pedestrian zone on Market and Union, contrasting previous years when installations were dismantled by mid-afternoon.”
}
},
{
“@type”: “Question”,
“name”: “What is the goal of Park(ing) Day?”,
“acceptedAnswer”: {
“@type”: “Answer”,
“text”: “The goal is to foster vibrant street life to support local businesses, enhance community engagement, and challenge the status quo of urban design.”
}
}
]
}
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
HERE Resources
Additional Resources
- Inside of Knoxville: Park(ing) Day 2025
- Knox News: Tennessee Football Parking and Traffic
- WATE: New Downtown Knoxville Parking Plan
- Knox News: Great Smoky Mountains National Park Free Parking
- WBIR: Parking for Knoxville Smokies Game
- Wikipedia: Park(ing) Day
- Google Search: Knoxville parking
- Google Scholar: Urban Design and Community Engagement
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Public Space
- Google News: Knoxville Community Events
Author: STAFF HERE KNOXVILLE WRITER
The KNOXVILLE STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HEREKnoxville.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Knoxville, Knox County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as Dogwood Arts Festival, Big Ears Festival, and Knoxville Asian Festival. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership and United Way of Greater Knoxville, plus leading businesses in healthcare, education, and energy that power the local economy such as Covenant Health, University of Tennessee, and Tennessee Valley Authority. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREBristol.com, HEREChattanooga.com, HEREMemphis.com, and HERENashville.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Tennessee's dynamic landscape.
