The Contradictions of Regulating Temporary Spaces

McKone writes:

"Temporary urbanism-the trend of "pop-up places"-is growing in popularity, especially among retailers, politicians, planners, artists, landscape architects, entrepreneurs and activists. The concept of utilizing public or unused space for a short amount of time, in part, has become popular because it creates a sense of urgency, encouraging consumption. Pop-up retail is particularly appealing to marketers: We found a high-end store called Vacant that shows exclusive designs in vacant spaces in select cities for only a few months. In a way, temporary retail spaces are not dissimilar to daily deal sites like Groupon and LivingSocial.

Yet this sort of activity has always existed. In much of the world, business opportunity occurs informally because it's cheaper (and often more efficient.)"

Thanks to Erica Schlaikjer