Pushing Ps (Pedestrian Plazas, Parklets, Pop-up bike lanes)

 Tactical Urbanism is all about action. Also known as DIY Urbanism, Planning-by-Doing, Urban Acupuncture, or Urban Prototyping, this approach refers to a city, organizational, and/or citizen-led approach to neighborhood building using short-term, low-cost, and scalable interventions to catalyze long-term change.

-Tactical Urbanist’s Guide to getting it done

 

    Pedestrian Plazas. Parklets. Pop-up Bike Lanes. All small, short-term tactics to advance long-term neighborhood goals related to street safety, public space, and neighborhood integration. So why are these projects so successful in the short-term but fail to be more influential at a larger scale? 

So what is it about plazas, parklets, and pop-up bike lanes that attract so many people? Many of these projects are created to give the general public a dynamic space to use regardless of financial status or social class. They are temporary by nature so that causes an influx of community members coming to experience them before they vanish. So how can we look at these projects and start to think of them as concrete instead of fluctuating? 

Time Square, as an example, started as a temporary street closure that inspired real change and is now one of the most iconic public spaces in the world. What can architects and planners take away from the success of Time Square that can be incorporated into cities of all scales? How can we bring back the idea of positive public experiences and is that the job of an architect alone?