Urban Design for the Commitment-Phobe in All of Us

In a post from the Plan.Place blog, the author explores the need to better allocate street space while acknowledging the difficulties that come with making visible, functional changes to a community. While the author commiserates with those who have "a hard time weighing the benefits of improving pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure against a potential increase in commute times or the threat of having an even harder time finding a parking spot," she argues the importance of evolving our streets along with the rest of the urban form. "The easiest, most effective way for people to understand the potential for a place (be it the road in front of their house or the empty lot down the street) to look and function differently is through actually showing them, using temporary installations rather than solely relying on renderings or precedents."

From PARK(ing) Day to pop-up bike lanes to Better Blocks projects, it is clear that there is value in testing concepts with the community, whether or not you have a long-term goal of a permanent project. The author includes several examples of projects big and small, and suggests experimenting with the urban form, on many scales. "If you’re considering improvements that could be easily demonstrated via a temporary project – curb extensions, bike lanes, valet parking, food trucks, more street trees, etc – why not take a chance and try it out before you and your community commit to a solution?"

"It doesn’t have to be expensive, or time-consuming. In the words of Janette Sadik-Khan, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation from 2007-2013, 'if you’ve got a big, controversial project, think about lawn chairs.'"