Insight Session: Planning by doing - Tactical Urbanism during the COVID-19 pandemic

 

Have you ever heard about tactical urbanism? Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, cities are facing enormous challenges that had to be answered with quick planning solutions.  Nevertheless, this also entails new opportunities for a different perception of public urban space. The pandemic highlights the importance of accessible green space in our dense city structures and tactical urbanism can be a creative tool to revitalize public spaces.

Due to the number of people working from home, the use of public transport and traffic volume decreased – yet therefore creating possibilities to test new models. For example, many cities set up temporary low-budget solutions such as pop-up bike lanes, turned pavement into plazas and used better block initiatives to adapt urban space to the new requirements. These practices of minimal cost and time are referred to as tactical urbanism. Other commonly used terms are guerrilla urbanism, pop-up urbanism, do-it-yourself urbanism– all of them having in common that they are short-term actions for long-term change.

 

“Tactical Urbanism is used by a range of actors, including governments, business and nonprofits, citizen groups, and individuals. It makes use of open and iterative development processes, the efficient use of resources, and the creative potential unleashed by social interaction. It is what Professor Nabeel Hamdi calls making plans without the usual preponderance of planning.”

― Mike Lydon, co-author of the book Tactical Urbanism

 

Together we will explore tactical urbanism as experimental low-budget approach of urban planning. How can municipalities benefit from tactical urbanism? How does the approach help to create new solutions for urban problems? These questions will be discussed with following confirmed speakers:

 

Time (CET)

Agenda 

09:30 

Technical check-in of participants 

10:00 

Opening and welcome words
Franziska Loibl, Connective Cities, GIZ 

 

What is Tactical Urbanism?
Julius Sax, Connective Cities, GIZ 

10:15 

Reimaging Cities with Tactical Urbanism

Rajeev Malagi, Program Manager - Urban Development, WRI India Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

10:30

New elements of design in public space. Tactical Urbanism in Barcelona

Ariadna Miquel, Director of Urban Strategy, City Council of Barcelona

10:45 

Reclaiming Streets for People across India

Aswathy Dilip, South Asia Director, Institute for Transportation & Development Policy

11:00 

Questions and Answer session

11:20 

Wrap up and closing 

11:30 

End of the event 

 

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