Tactical Urbanism Where it Matters: HowSmall Scale Spatial Practice Can Catalyze Change in Underserved Communities

Small scale spatial interventions that bring vibrancy to city life have been a preoccupation of designers in recent years. While creative actions have focused on the almost-healthy environment, what of those communities perennially underserved, and whose problems of poverty, crime, health and environmental decay are more complex and challenging? Through several case studies, this paper examines a new direction for the spatial practice known as “tactical urbanism,” and suggests that it might catalyze change in distressed communities if undertaken with careful consideration of multiple systems that form these contexts. Design collaborations, cooperative research and willingness to expand the temporal frame of a project can help to catalyze institutional growth and neighborhood stability.

https://doi.org/10.35483/ACSA.Intl.2016.39

Volume Editors
Alfredo Andia, Dana Cupkova, Macarena Cortes, Umberto Bonomo & Vera Parlac

ISBN
978-1-944214-10-4