Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Streetfilms

The 7th Most Influential Streetfilm of All Time

4:44 PM EDT on September 30, 2016

With the 10-year benefit for Streetsblog and Streetfilms coming up on November 14 (get your tickets here!), we are counting down the 12 most influential Streetfilms of all time, as determined by Clarence Eckerson Jr.

Park(ing) Day San Francisco

Number of plays: 144,000

Publish date: November 2, 2006

Why is it here? It's hard to remember now that parklets and bike corrals are well-established street elements in many cities, but not that long ago, repurposing curb space for anything other than parking or deliveries was unheard of. The annual observation of Park(ing) Day helped people imagine different uses for our streets. Many official city initiatives to turn the curb over to pedestrians ("Pavement to Parks," "Street Seats") were inspired by the early work of Rebar, the collaborative that popularized Park(ing) Day.

Fun Fact: I was visiting my girlfriend in Oakland and out shooting some video of bicycle boulevards in Berkeley when I got word that Park(ing) Day was happening the next day. I was familiar with ReBar’s awesome previous installations and figured I’d better show up and start filming. An exhausting day, but I shot a ton of footage and put this up just a few days later.

The Streetfilms Countdown so far:

#12: Lakewood, Ohio: The Suburb Where Everyone Can Walk to School

#11: Mark Gorton Interviews Enrique Peñalosa

#10: Zurich: Where People Are Welcome and Cars Are Not

#9: Sneckdowns

#8: Complete Streets: It’s About More Than Bike Lanes

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Monday’s Headlines: ‘What is Up With All These Flip-Flops, Mayor?’ Edition

It's the same old story with this mayor and his chief adviser, Ingrid Lewis-Martin. Plus other news.

September 25, 2023

Why Sustainable Transportation Advocates Need to Talk About Long COVID

Covid-19 transformed many U.S. cities' approach to sustainable transportation forever. But how did it transform the lives of sustainable transportation advocates who developed lasting symptoms from the disease?

September 24, 2023

Analysis: ‘Dangerous Vehicle Abatement Program’ is a Failure By All Measures

The Department of Transportation wants the Dangerous Vehicle Abatement Program to simply expire in part because it did not dramatically improve safety among these worst-of-the-worst drivers and led to a tiny number of vehicle seizures.

September 22, 2023

School Bus Driver Kills Cyclist in Boro Park, 24th Bike Death of 2023

Luis Perez-Ramirez, 44, was biking south on Fort Hamilton Parkway just before 3:15 p.m. when he was struck a by school bus driver making a right turn.

September 22, 2023

‘Betrayal’: Adams Caves to Opposition, Abandons Bus Improvement Plan on Fordham Road

The capitulation on Fordham Road is the latest episode in which the mayor has delayed or watered down a transportation project in deference to powerful interests.

September 22, 2023
See all posts