Tactical Urbanism

 

“Tactical urbanism” is a popular buzzword among urban planners. But what does it mean? According to Mike Lydon, public space expert at Street Plans, tactical urbanism is short-term action for a long-term change. A good example for that are the popular pop-up bike lanes coming up in many cities during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. They are cheap, simple and short-term solutions, but there is a tactic behind them. They are intended for a deeper change, such as more safety and space for cyclists.

 

Tactical urbanism can be defined as “a city and citizen-led approach to neighbourhood building using short-term, low-cost, and scalable interventions intended to create long-term change”. Actions can be classified as tactical when they have a vision, a local context, a short-term commitment, a low-risk and high-reward value and the support of a community. Ideally, they even develop social capital by bringing neighbours together. In the long term, pop-up interventions are intended to get an official sanctioning or create change.

 

Due to key trends in urbanism over the last decades, we are currently evolving towards a more human-centred idea of urban planning. Copenhagen’s star planner Jan Gehl is a great example of how to create cities for people, not for cars. Environmentalism, the sharing economy, and sustainability as well as the development of technologies are other trends that enable change in urban planning. A shift in demographics and even an economic recession are opportunities for tactical urbanism – and the good news is that anyone can participate in it!

 

Source: https://parcitypatory.org/2020/07/31/tactical-urbanism/