Living in a major city like San Francisco comes with heightened challenges regarding income, housing and personal space. Compared to rural areas and even most other cities, living in San Francisco is very expensive and yields a smaller living space relative to cost. Not everyone here owns a car due to the recurring costs of ownership or simply because their lifestyles don’t require personally owning one. Those who do own cars however, own not just a mode of transportation but also an extension of their personal space. Within the rules of parking, you are able to leave your car whenever you feel like or wherever there is space. Parking spots are anybody’s, until you’ve parked your car there and then it’s all yours until you move. Cars are small enclosed spaces of relative privacy and security. Given the constraints of city living, I propose that people start treating parked cars more as an extension of their homes for an additional few square feet of living area.
With this proposal I would use a series of projectors mounted from my apartment building. These projectors would shine down at the street, illuminating open parking spaces. With this illumination, messages would be displayed advertising the opportunity to turn a given space into your own place. An ad campaign would encourage car owners to treat their cars more as an extension of their personal space, a place you can simply store things or a place you can spend time. Car seats could be modified to reorient backwards, turning the cabin into a seating area for five to hang out, work, relax or eat.
