ORLANDO, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35 ORLANDO) -
The City of Orlando on Friday hosted an event where six local design firms temporarily transformed eight on-street metered parking spaces into re-imagined parks and green spaces to show the positive impacts of leaving vehicles at home and walking, biking, carpooling or using public transit to commute.
As part of the "One Less Car, One More Park" event, Orlando Mayor Dyer is encouraging residents and employees to commute to work using an alternative mode of transportation this Friday. Not only do alternate travel modes reduce the need to use land for parking, but it also saves residents money and reduces congestion and pollution.
"If you aren't using a car and a parking space, you can use it for something else, like a pocket park right in the community," Mayor Dyer told FOX 35.
Mayor Dyer presented the winning design firm, the Groveland-based LegacyScapes, with a trophy made from a recycled parking meter, with flowers sticking out of the top of the meter. That trophy will be returned and given to next year's winner. The city hopes to make this an annual event.
The "One Less Car, One More Park" event is part of Green Works Orlando, the city's sustainability initiative. Orlando has launched GreenWorksOrlando.com, where residents can provide feedback and further the ideas of making the city a more sustainable and livable community.
