FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 2026
URBAN HABITAT CHICAGO TO TRANSFORM A PARKING SPACE INTO A LIVING LABORATORY FOR PARK(ing) DAY 2026
Public invited September 18 to explore how small urban spaces can manage stormwater, support nature and bring people together
CHICAGO, IL — Urban Habitat Chicago will participate in PARK(ing) Day 2026 on Friday, September 18, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., near 5038 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625.
For one day, a conventional parking space will become a small outdoor exhibit demonstrating a much bigger idea: What else could urban land do besides park a car? PARK(ing) Day is an international event.
Visitors will be able to explore examples and illustrations showing how parking spaces and other paved areas can be reconsidered as rain gardens, prairie habitat, tree planting areas, pollinator gardens, permeable surfaces and welcoming spaces for people.
A centerpiece of the Urban Habitat Chicago installation will demonstrate the relationship between pavement and stormwater. Approximately one inch of rain falling on a typical parking space represents about 95 gallons of water. .
The installation will also examine the larger role of parking in the city. Thousands of acres of Chicago land are dedicated to parking and other impervious surfaces. Reimagining even a portion of these areas can create opportunities to reduce stormwater runoff, provide shade, support native plants and pollinators, improve habitat and create attractive public spaces.
“A parking space is small, but the idea isn’t,” said Michael Repkin, executive director, “PARK(ing) Day gives us an opportunity to help people look at a familiar piece of the city differently and ask how our urban land can work better for people, water and nature.”
The event is free and open to the public. Visitors are encouraged to stop by, explore the displays, talk with Urban Habitat Chicago representatives and share their own ideas for how Chicago’s urban spaces could be used differently.
EVENT DETAILS
Urban Habitat Chicago — PARK(ing) Day 2026Friday, September 18, 2026 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Near 5038 N. Lincoln Avenue Chicago, IL 60625
ABOUT URBAN HABITAT CHICAGO
Urban Habitat Chicago explores practical ways to make cities healthier, more ecologically functional and more resilient by integrating people, plants, water and habitat into the urban environment.
MEDIA CONTACT:
MICHAEL REPKIN
Urban Habitat Chicago
312-569-0318
mrepkin@urbanhabitatchicago.org
www.urbanhabitatchicago.org
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