Dogs, people and zombies, oh my!

PHOENIX — About a dozen downtown Phoenix parking spaces near First Avenue and Washington were taken over by people, puppies and zombies on this Worldwide PARK(ing) Day to show the spots can be more than just quarter-consuming pavement.

Stacey Champion organized the event, which ran from 7-10 a.m.

Champion says the event is pro-people and not anti-car.

“We’re renting the public space,” she explained. We’ve turned the spaces into parks. We have beanbag toss, chess, a zombie park and a poetry park.”

Robert Chacon with We-Cycle-USA has a shop at First Avenue and Lincoln and refurbishes used bikes for kids and the homeless.

“It’s about showing that the parking space could be used for better purposes like bike parking or a park,” Chacon said. “One little space can do more than park a car.”