Park(ing) Day Toronto 2025 Call for Activations

Reimagining parking spaces as people spaces.
Park(ing) Day is an annual global event where citizens, artists, designers, and activists temporarily transform parking spaces into pop-up parks, art installations, and social spaces for a day. Taking place on the third weekend of September, the initiative invites people worldwide to reclaim street, boulevard, and lot parking spaces—turning them into temporary micro-parks and community spaces for design, play, and conversation.

 

Why Park(ing) Day?
Park(ing) Day calls attention to the need for more accessible and inclusive public spaces in dense urban areas. By encouraging people to think critically about the use of public space in our cities, Park(ing) Day raises awareness about the need for more open, green, and social areas in our urban environments. The ethos of Park(ing) Day is to
celebrate the use of urban public space for people and challenge the dominance of the automobile in cities. Originally launched in 2005 by San Francisco-based design studio Rebar, Park(ing) Day has grown into a global grassroots movement, with hundreds of installations across more than 35 countries.

 

Park(ing) Day Toronto
Park(ing) Day Toronto is organized and coordinated by Dubbeldam Architecture + Design, who launched the initiative locally in 2022 with a single activation in the boulevard parking space in front of their studio. Since then, Dubbeldam has led the charge in expanding the event across the city, and the initiative has grown significantly. In 2024, more than 20 activations were realized across Toronto and the GTA, involving a wide range of participants—from architecture and design studios to artists, nonprofits, community groups, and residents. This expansion reflects a growing enthusiasm for rethinking and reclaiming public space.

 

Grants for 2025 Activations
To support broader participation and make the event more accessible, Dubbeldam Architecture + Design launched the Park(ing) Day Toronto Grants Program in 2024 to offer grants of up to $500 to support eligible Park(ing) Day activations. For the 2025 event, the grant program continues thanks to support from this year’s Grant Partners Arup Canada, SvN Architects + Planners, Dialog and Fast+Epp. Community organizations, non-profits, local groups, and individuals are invited to apply. The grants are intended to cover materials, plants, seating, signage, and other design or programming costs. They encourage projects that are inclusive, community-driven, and creatively reimagine how public space can be used.

 

Host Your Own Activation
Create your own pop-up park in any parking space and join the global movement! Hosting a Park(ing) Day activation is a creative way to reimagine urban spaces, foster community dialogue, and advocate for more people-centered cities. To get started:

1. Register Your Activation: Visit the Park(ing) Day website to register your event and let the world know
about your upcoming creative transformation. https://www.parkingdaytoronto.ca/register
2. Apply for a Grant: Take advantage of our grants program, offering up to $500 to eligible applicants and
activations. This support can help turn your ideas into reality.
3. Get Inspired: Follow us on Instagram @parkingday_Toronto for inspiration and ideas from past
activations and connect with others in the Park(ing) Day community.

 

Activation Dates:

Third weekend in September (Friday September 19 – Sunday September 21, 2025). Choose one or all three days. For more information, visit www.parkingdaytoronto.ca or reach out to them at hello@parkingdaytoronto.ca. They look forward to celebrating the transformation of urban spaces together!

 

Important Dates:

Grant activations will be reviewed and approved starting August 31. There is no deadline for activation registrations.

Learn More
Instagram Page

When Friday, September 19 - Sunday, September 21, 2025

Cost Free

Host Park(ing) Day Toronto and Dubbeldam Architecture + Design,

Contact

hello@parkingdaytoronto.ca

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