Pilot Projects Are Nice, But Not As Nice As Permanence

Despite the quality of temporary public spaces being created in San Francisco, their use of funding sources and lack of permanence could hurt efforts to build permanent public spaces, according to this piece from the San Francisco Chronicle.

1 minute read

September 28, 2010, 1:00 PM PDT

By Nate Berg


Urban design critic John King reviews temporary projects like the city's Pavement to Parks efforts and worries that focusing on temporary public spaces will work against efforts to create permanent city improvements.

"Unless San Francisco finds the resources to craft resonant lasting spaces, it runs the risk of squandering the promise of the low-budget, high-concept nooks that have been conceived. What now seems innovative could prove to be a fad. The lessons learned so far could gather dust.

This is not a disparagement of the bureaucratic and volunteer effort that went into the five spaces hatched so far in the Pavement to Parks initiative started by the city early last year."

Thanks to ArchNewsNow

Saturday, September 25, 2010 in San Francisco Chronicle

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