“Pop-up park” will promote community engagement at Taste of Annandale

An example of a “pop-up park” from the Urban Land Institute report on revitalizing Annandale.

The Fairfax County Office of Community Revitalization (OCR) is creating a tiny, temporary “pop-up” park in a parking lot at the Taste of Annandale to provide a relaxing place to hang out.

“The pop-up park will be a tiny oasis featuring a variety of small tables and chairs, complete with a collection of flowers, grasses, and plants,” says Laura Baker, a planner with the OCR. “It will give attendees an opportunity to experience firsthand the power of temporary place-making and provide a space where people can take a small break from all the many festival activities to relax and engage with one another.”

A pop-up park is one of the short-term strategies for revitalizing Annandale recommended by a technical assistance team convened by the Urban Land Institute. The report by the team was presented to the community in July.

Representatives from the OCR, Mason District supervisor’s office, and departments of urban forestry, transportation, and parks will be available at the Taste of Annandale to talk to the public and provide information about revitalization and other options for “pop-up place-making.”

There are pop-up parks all over Washington, D.C., Virginia, and elsewhere today. Sept. 16 is “Park(ing) Day,” an annual, international event where parking spaces are transformed into miniature parks for a day to create impromptu public gatherings and focus attention on the need for more open spaces.

The City of Alexandria and Arlington County each have five “parklets,” according to the Greater Greater Washington blog, and D.C. has at least 25. The D.C. Department of Transportation is hosting a parklet and commuter spa near the Farragut North Metro station with a reading nook and professional masseuse.