Every year on the third Friday of September, parking spots across the globe become much more than a place to keep one’s car. PARK(ing) Day is an annual event where the citizens of every town and city are invited to turn metered parking spots into miniature parks and works of art. This year, it will take place on Sept. 21.The movement was started in 2005 by a San Franciscan art and design studio, Rebar. A group of its artists set up a plot of sod, a wooden bench and a potted tree to occupy a parking spot for the two hours that the meter allowed. According to the project’s website, “The PARK(ing) project was created to explore the range of possible activities for this short-term lease, and to provoke a critical examination of the values that generate the form of urban public space.” The movement has expanded exponentially from its origins; in the past few years people have used their spaces as free health clinics, bicycle repair shops and have held political seminars.For those who wanted to take part in the event but were not sure what to do with their space, Pittsburgh’s chapter of the American Institute of Architects’ Young Architects Foundation led a design workshop on Sept. 10. They discussed ideas for spaces as well as how to go about making ideas for an installation into reality.   There are nearly limitless possibilities as to what one can do with a parking space. In past years parking spaces have been turned into miniature beaches and corn fields. Chuck Alcorn, a volunteer helping to organize Pittsburgh’s PARK(ing) Day, described previous wild plots during a phone interview.“There was one installation that had stationary bikes hooked up to lighting systems,” Alcorn said. However, not all parking spots need to be this complex.“It could be really simple,” Alcorn said. “You can take a ground cover, carpet or something to represent grass- any plans to liven up the area.”If actual natural materials are not available, this faux-nature-themed ingenuity can be very helpful.Laura Hutzell, a freshman journalism major planning on using this imaginative style, has come up with a similarly creative idea for her park. “I’m thinking about a little garden of flowers made out of pipe cleaner and handing out individual pipe cleaner flowers to people,” Hutzell said Thursday. “It’s something fun that kids will enjoy.”Regardless of their installation, it is important for all participants to be aware of the various parking laws. While Pittsburgh does not have any laws regarding using parking spaces for activities other than keeping vehicles, there are certain restrictions. Parks cannot block or interfere with moving traffic in any way and forgetting to feed the meter can lead to fines. Certain areas also have parking restrictions in the early morning and late afternoon rush hours. Citizens of Pittsburgh are not the only ones who will be creating parks; organizations and companies are jumping at the opportunity to participate. Animal Nature, a purveyor of safe pet food and supplies, will be creating its spot in Shadyside. The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (an organization dedicated to wildlife preservation and restoration), the Pittsburgh Tote Bag Project (a non-profit that provides food pantries with new and gently used tote bags), the Yarn Over Society (an assembly of “guerrilla knitters” that aims to beautify the city’s urban landscape) and many other businesses and non-profit groups will be building their own spots around the city.This will be the Tote Bag Project’s first year participating in PARK(ing) Day, and its installation will be in front of the ToonSeum on Liberty Avenue.“We want to explore the irony of the fact that there are so many parking spaces, but so few food sources in urban locations,” Sue Kerr, the project’s founder, said during a phone interview Monday. “We’re going to have two sets of matching groceries, one in disposable and one in totes. It will show people the difference. Do you want to carry six bags, or three?”Assemble is an organization that hosts film screenings, happenings, workshops, lectures, and community activities to promote art and technology. Nina Barbuto, Assemble’s executive director, first started participating in PARK(ing) Day in Los Angeles in 2007, and introduced Assemble to the event last year.“We’ll be doing something similar this year to the [event] we had last year,” Barbuto said during a phone interview Monday. “We might do something where people can come help us make a large collage. It will be something for all ages and very hands-on.”There are many ways to get involved and support PARK(ing) Day. Beyond decorating a parking space, one can create a PARK(ing) Day tour that features all the installations in Pittsburgh or help donate materials to those who are creating a park.“Everyone is encouraged to visit the parks and enjoy the new scenery,” Alcorn said.