Tactical Urbanism

Vancouver, British Columbia

Want Strangers to Trust Each Other? Paint Crosswalks in Rainbows

People say they're more confident that their lost wallets would be returned or that they would meet a friend on a corner that had a rainbow-painted crosswalk.

August 28, 2017 - Quartz

Demonstration Project

Resources for Creating a Pop-Up Traffic Calming Demonstration

A how-to guide for concerned citizens and tactical urbanists interested in slowing down traffic in their community.

April 12, 2017 - Strong Towns

Palm Springs

Billboards Covered With Photos of the Beautiful Vistas They're Blocking

Jennifer Bolande has created a series of billboards that perfectly line up with the mountain views they block on a highway in Palm Springs, California.

March 22, 2017 - Twisted Sifter

Road Maintenance

Portland Anarchists Illegally Repair Potholes

Saying that they believe in direct action and suspecting the motives of the State, a group of Portland anarchists are taking to the streets to fix potholes.

March 16, 2017 - Boing Boing

Anti-Terrorism

'See Something, Say Something' Train Ads Tweaked in New York

New York trouble adds subversive quotes to the "If You See Something Say Something" signs in the New York Subway.

March 14, 2017 - Hyperallergic

Plunger

Friday Funny: Rogue Plunger Enthusiast Unclogs Wichita Bike Lanes

An unknown bike safety activist wields toilet plungers for safety and justice, just as the Thor of legend once wielded Mjölnir.

March 3, 2017 - Next City

Broadway Bus Lane in Everett

Applying the Tricks of Tactical Urbanism to Transit

The semi-legal world of quick, informal city improvements called tactical urbanism is finding a home inside transit departments.

January 7, 2017 - TransitCenter

Nashville

Tactical Urbanism Reshaping Nashville's Broadway Ave

Nasvhille's embrace of temporary urban interventions is producing amazing results that are capturing the imagination of both locals and tourists alike.

November 1, 2016 - Modern Cities

Little Free Library

101 Small Actions With Big Effects in Cities

The Curbed team has compiled a laundry list of creative and effective ways for people to give some love to their cities.

September 26, 2016 - Curbed

Pop Up Plaza in Louisville

Six U.S. Cities to Workshop the Methodologies of Tactical Urbanism

Funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, a recently announced series of tactical urbanism workshops will take place in six U.S. cities.

August 17, 2016 - The Architect's Newspaper

Mexico City

Friday Eye Candy: A World Tour of Creative Crosswalks

Take a look at these creative crosswalks and add your own examples.

July 15, 2016 - The Guardian Cities

Gowanus Canal

Parking Spaces Give Way to Stormwater-Collecting Dumpsters in Gowanus

A project proposal from Alloy Development and the Gowanus Canal Conservancy makes creative use of space to achieve stormwater benefits in the neighborhood surrounding the Gowanus Canal.

June 21, 2016 - Brooklyn Paper

La Rambla

Barcelona 'Superblocks' Aim to Cut Down on Cars

Seeking relief from noise, pollution, and incessant traffic, the city of Barcelona has a bold plan to repurpose street space. "Superblocks" will route cars around the perimeter, leaving interior streets open for walkers and bikes.

June 16, 2016 - The Guardian

Demonstration Project

New Guide Will Help You Take Action in the Streets

With a grant from the Knight Foundation, Street Plans is creating the "Tactical Urbanist's Guide to Materials and Design" to provide engineer-approved materials guidance for citizen-led demonstration, and city-led pilot and interim design projects.

March 15, 2016 - Mike Lydon

Pop Up Protected Bike Lanes

DIY Urbanism and Top-Down Planning

Though projects tend to be hyper-local and temporary, Do It Yourself, Tactical, or Guerrilla Urbanism is an endorsement of the top-down planning model, rather than a repudiation.

February 24, 2016 - Reuben Duarte

Rainbow Crosswalk

Re-Examining the Safety of Colorful Crosswalks

There has been no shortage of responses to the story about St. Louis letting decorated sidewalks fade away after encountering federal policy that recommends more subdued colors.

February 13, 2016 - Streetsblog USA

St. Louis Rainbow Crosswalk

Painted Crosswalks Don't Pass Feds' Eyeball Test in St. Louis

St. Louis will end a program that allows groups to decorate crosswalks for the purposes of beautifying and branding neighborhoods. Currently decorated crosswalks can stay, for now.

February 9, 2016 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Cards Against Urbanity

One Year Later: What has Cards Against Urbanity Taught Planners?

Reflection on the education provided by the irreverent game called Cards Against Urbanity has led the game's creators to create a new, less snarky version of the game.

October 21, 2015 - Next City

urban park

Pavement Parks: a Better Parklet Alternative

Too often, street-side parklets become little more than semi-private patios for the businesses that sponsor them. Pavement parks, replacing dangerous intersections, may be a more worthwhile option.

October 4, 2015 - Next City

Sunset Plaza

Is Tactical Urbanism a Thing?

A review of the book by Mike Lydon and Anthony Garcia asks the question. The answer is a clear "yes."

September 20, 2015 - California Planning & Development Report

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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

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