--- title: "SF Is so Expensive That People Are Using Parking Spots as Offices" description: "A web developer wants to turn San Francisco parking spaces into coworking spaces, complete with desks and chairs. Is it a stunt?" date: "2019-05-06" modified: "2019-05-06" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/coworking-space-wepark-parking-lot" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "car" - "office" - "san francisco" --- # SF Is so Expensive That People Are Using Parking Spots as Offices ![A web developer wants to turn San Francisco parking lots into coworking spaces, desks, folding chairs, and all.]() *\Image: WePark\* ## Striking a Chord Web developer Victor Pontis has had enough of cars in San Francisco — parking spaces, he says, just take up too much space. His idea: turn the prime real estate of parking spots into coworking spaces, complete with desks and chairs, that he called WePark — and charge only the price of a parking meter, which is a [fraction]() of the price of other local coworking spaces. https://twitter.com/VictorPontis/status/1121525576487989248 The experiment struck a nerve — especially considering the skyrocketing rent in the Californian metropolis — and picked up widespread press coverage. "Car parking squanders space that can be used for the public good — bike lanes, larger sidewalks, retail, cafes, more housing," Pontis [told *Vice*](). "Let’s use city streets for people, not cars." https://twitter.com/weparkweparty/status/1123109211120947200 Pontis got the idea from a tweet by developer Devon Zuegel, who posted a picture of a specialized bike carrier vehicle that can fit eight bikes in a single parking spot. https://twitter.com/devonzuegel/status/1111421997844590592 ## Everybody Park Now WePark has quickly garnered the attention from freelancers across the globe. Its operations have expanded to Santa Monica — and a related event even [took place in France](). The question remains: is WePark more than a publicity stunt that takes a clear stance against San Francisco's — perhaps even an American — obsession with cars? That's hard to tell. But [momentum is growing]() behind the idea regardless. **READ MORE:** [A Rogue Coder Turned a Parking Spot into a Coworking Space and People Loved It]() \[*Vice*\] **More on the sharing economy:***[ People Love Living in Pods So Much They’re Getting Neck Tattoos About It]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()