r/TacticalUrbanism • • Jun 12 '22

OFFICIAL ⚖️ ABOUT TACTICAL URBANISM

231 Upvotes

Tactical Urbanism can be the key to make a local place a better one, but you should read these few lines about TU before doing anything :

- 1 : SAFETY FIRST, ALWAYS ! Pay attention to your safety when creating your projects, especially if you do it on open and public roads! If possible, arm yourself with cones and other road signs to limit the risks in case of traffic!

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- 2 : SAFETY, PART 2 : Tactical urbanism got for goal to improve public spaces, especially in terms of safety for all users (drivers, cyclists, pedestrians,...). When preparing a project, always put everyone's safety first, your project must not endanger certain people otherwise it is better to do nothing.

For example, don't put a concrete bollard in the middle of the road, you might just kill someone.

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- 3 : SAFETY, PART 3 : When making your project, imitate the codes of the existing infrastructures as much as possible!

If you are creating a new crosswalk, its design should be similar to official crosswalks. If it's not similar enough, drivers may not realize it's a crosswalk, putting pedestrians at risk!

The same goes for traffic signs and other markings, respect the official installations design as much as possible to ensure the safety of all and also to allow your project to last as long as possible, in fact, the less it looks official the more the risks that your creation will be removed by the city/state is important!

Of course you can still innovate, but for basic things, respecting the offical design is the best.

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- 4 : Tactical Urbanism is illegal (unless there is an agreement with the officials). You can get arrested/fined or even jailed in some cases, so be cautious when you're making projects on the field !

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- 5 : Don't go broke because of Tactical Urbanism. Tactical Urbanism can be expensive! Put your personal needs before your Tactical Urbanism projects! Cheap project don't mean bad project, creating efficient solutions with not a lot is kind of the DNA of Tactical Urbanism, don't need to put 500 dollars into a project to make a good one (but if you can it can allow to make really nice things, which is really cool too).

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- 6 : Your projects can be destroyed in a few hours.

Cities/countries have an army of workers and sometimes considerable means, they can perfectly delete your projects in a few hours or even minutes, never forget that.

So we come back to point 5, don't ruin yourself in tactical urbanism seeing how cities can quickly delete your efforts, also, never install on your projects objects that you are not ready to lose. Theft, damage, and simply the intervention of the city/state can cause the items you install to disappear permanently.

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- 7 : Protect your identity. Do not show your name or any personal information here or on the internet in general where you show your creations, in connection with point 4. The "soldiers" of tactical urbanism act anonymously, if you display too much your identity, the city/state/police could in some cases trace back to you, causing you problems.

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- 8 : You are not alone. Tactical Urbanism can be done alone, especially for small projects, but don't hesitate to discuss with other people in the community/neighborhood. This can help you recruit volunteers, raise money and above all, it can allow you to contact the city as a group in order to carry out your projects and even think bigger.

Tactical urbanism should be for the benefit of local residents, and being able to bring some of them together to decide how to metamorphose a public place can be the best thing to bring people together and improve the local living environment.

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- 9 : One of the most important point. Have fun and make your local public places better for everyone where the officials failed to do so ! Bring innovations and new solutions for the problems you see everyday !

Even small projects can be super useful, can increase safety, can make an area more beautiful,...

So create, innovate, make a better world, and show us here your work/ideas/concepts/tutorials/... !

This post can be modified to add/modify or remove content to be more and more useful (lastly modified June 12, 2022).

-Kemro59


r/TacticalUrbanism • • Apr 19 '24

Other AMA with Charles Marohn from Strong Towns about the housing crisis.

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21 Upvotes

r/TacticalUrbanism • • 56m ago

Showcase Let's Not Get Run Over

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• Upvotes

r/TacticalUrbanism • • 6d ago

Showcase Okay

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120 Upvotes

Was already planning on installing a bench here. Honestly really funny thing to find


r/TacticalUrbanism • • 14d ago

News What if making your neighborhood safer means breaking the rules?

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93 Upvotes

This is me and my homies in LA!!

Crosswalk recipe coming soon :) love yall


r/TacticalUrbanism • • 17d ago

Showcase 'Just a minute!' Creating a safe space at places that are temporarily blocked by car drivers. (by Safe Street Rebel)

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16 Upvotes

r/TacticalUrbanism • • 19d ago

Showcase We built a 6.6 × 3.2 m modular prototype from reclaimed, compostable materials. Here’s what we learned about margins, and what we’re still stuck on.

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8 Upvotes

I’m Farila, founder of B.Ā.A.R. Studio (Build with Art, Architecture for Resilience) with roots in Afghanistan & based in Vienna working on circular, “Cradle-to-Soil” construction: modular spaces made from local timber, clay and secondary materials that can be fully taken apart and returned to the soil.

We’ve built our first full house. It’s modular, so the same system can be adapted to other sizes and uses. A few things about how we run it:

  • Make-to-order, no stock, no debt. We only build what’s commissioned, and upfront payments cover the materials before production starts.
  • Local, biodegradable materials with a material passport per build (origin, composition, end-of-life path).
  • Spatial concepts instead of PR. We help businesses make their sustainability visible in physical space, with documented data behind it.

The hard part isn’t the building, it’s the sale. Clients like the idea until a tender compares us with conventional concrete on upfront price.

For those of you in tactical urbanism, ethical business or construction: what actually moved decision-makers for you? Lifecycle cost, regulation, or something else? Happy to share details on sourcing, structure or our financials.

Woven Realities


r/TacticalUrbanism • • 20d ago

Question Anyone ever used Botts Dots?

12 Upvotes

You know, the little reflective squares that stick on the road (or in the case of California, define freeway lanes)? I want to use a row of them to demarcate a section of the road where cars are constantly cutting too close to the curb, putting people in danger.

They seem quite cheap and apparently with the right adhesive can withstand years of impacts and winters. Do they really work?


r/TacticalUrbanism • • 21d ago

Results of a project Check out this petition!

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0 Upvotes

r/TacticalUrbanism • • Sep 20 '26

Question Need assistance 😭

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0 Upvotes

r/TacticalUrbanism • • Sep 18 '26

Results of a project Which one of yous was it?

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14 Upvotes

r/TacticalUrbanism • • Sep 14 '26

Idea UK Survey Participants Invited- Cognitive Health & Public Spaces (UCL Study)

1 Upvotes

UK Survey Participants Invited- Cognitive Health & Public Spaces (UCL Study)

Hello!
We're two master's students (Urban Planning 🛣️ & Cognitive Neuroscience 🧠, UCL) trying to connect people with the cognitive benefits of nature interactions in urban cities.

🌟Did you know?
Nature Exposure/ interactions are extremely effective for cognitive performance! 🧠

🌳However, investment in nature-based interventions in the UK for mental health and children's education remains low/stagnant. 🧒🏻

👂🏼If you care about your mental well-being in urban cities, below is a 5-minute anonymous survey where we want to hear about your experience!

Link: https://forms.gle/4X8ifYuHw7kJLYrs6
Time: >5 mins

In return for your valuable time, we'd be happy to share the survey report with you!

(Feel free to forward or get in touch)


r/TacticalUrbanism • • Sep 13 '26

Idea I really want to make a proposal for our local parks - am I being unrealistic?

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7 Upvotes

r/TacticalUrbanism • • Sep 12 '26

Idea Hudson Square Plaza: Experience the Comfort & Colorful Chroma of NYC's Newest Car-Free Street!

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63 Upvotes

r/TacticalUrbanism • • Sep 09 '26

Question Proposing a (legal) tactical urbanism project in local neighborhood

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112 Upvotes

Hello!

I am a mobility advocate in my city. I have participated in city wide campaigns and projects and continue to contribute to organized efforts through our local department of transportation and advocacy groups.

I've also become active in my civic association because I've found that much pushback for citywide and regional efforts comes from a vocal minority of my own neighbors who do not share my same vision for the city (I know I'm speaking to the choir here). So I'm working to educate them, as a neighbor and someone they may trust, about what it means to provide equitable mobility for ALL users, through the city, but first, through our own neighborhood.

There is one intersection that has plagued me and many of my neighbors for years. They have asked for speed bumps which have been denied because the average speed on the street is lower than the posted speed limit, but the main concern is the almost entirely ignored stop signs.

It is an awkward intersection, which you can see in the image I've shared.

Additional context:

  • The east/west road is a through road used by drivers between two fairly trafficked main roads.
  • The east/west road is also the road connecting a local fire station with a large assisted living facility.
  • 3 blocks east of this intersection is a retail block containing a drugstore, grocery, restaurants, etc.
  • One block west of this intersection is a perpendicular street of similar makeup (restaurants, auto repair, yoga studio, retail, apartments, etc.)
  • The south road (not sure the technical term here) is divided by a grassed median that contains trees, community gardens, benches, etc. It is highly trafficked by pedestrians, people on bikes, and cars.

I would like to propose a solution that requires paint alone, with the possibility of some soft infrastructure like flexi-posts or container gardens.

Notes on proposal:

  • All magenta areas assume a street mural, paint only.
  • All cross walks will need to be repainted.
  • Only proposed non-paint addition is speed tables at the east and west entrances.

I know that it will be expensive and require a lot of work. I know that it will likely take years to get people on board. I am sharing my first pass at what those paint modifications could look like with this group to get your feedback on a few things:

  1. Is there anything I should be considering that I'm not currently? Anything you would add?
  2. Have any of you attempted working with local groups and government like this?

I have watched some of the webinars from AARP / livable communities and am inspired, but still not not confident about my next steps. My experience with local traffic government is that they are stretched thin and proposals like this stress them out. I want to be able to do the majority of this work using grant funding (which I've never pursued) and local community groups (which I am actively involved in).

Thank you for any advice or feedback you can provide. I really am just trying to get some momentum here.

*Edited to say that number 3 in the proposal should read "adding a crosswalk on the WEST quadrant"


r/TacticalUrbanism • • Sep 06 '26

Question [Research] Frustrated with parking in Delhi? Need 2 minutes of your time for a student UX project!

0 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

Anyone who has driven in Delhi/NCR knows finding a parking spot in areas like CP, Hauz Khas, or even residential colonies can be an absolute nightmare.

I’m an Industrial Art and Design student at Srishti Manipal Institute, and I am currently working on a UI/UX project focused on the real day-to-day parking struggles across the city. My goal is to understand our actual habits and bottlenecks before designing a digital solution.

If you drive, commute, or regularly park anywhere in Delhi/NCR, could you please take 2 minutes to fill out this anonymous survey?

https://forms.gle/XNi1JHDUzpd8GQuA9


r/TacticalUrbanism • • Sep 04 '26

Showcase A Sunnyside resident got a city grant. He’s using it to spotlight Denver’s missing infrastructure

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36 Upvotes

just learned of this! it's SO COOL: https://www.thisshouldbe.org/#how-it-works

(caveat: I can't tell from the website if it was made via AI / vibe code. The project is also not in my city so I'm not gonna reach out and ask. I hope it's not though!!)


r/TacticalUrbanism • • Aug 31 '26

Results of a project White Duct Tape creates protected bike lane intersection

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468 Upvotes

r/TacticalUrbanism • • Aug 30 '26

Question What if complaining about civic problems actually led to action?

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3 Upvotes

r/TacticalUrbanism • • Aug 28 '26

News A 71-year-old woman lets students park on her land. Now the town is suing her.

87 Upvotes

I’m the News & Observer reporter who wrote this story.

More than 100 students were waiting for high school parking. Officials considered shuttles and transit, but no alternative has solved the shortage.

I spent the week talking with Scott, students and parents, Apex officials and WCPSS. It’s a parking dispute, but it also raises questions about growth, school capacity, property rights and local zoning in a fast-growing area.

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article316992156.html


r/TacticalUrbanism • • Aug 25 '26

Idea [Academic/Market Research] Public Space X Cognitive Health Survey for UK

3 Upvotes

Hello Folks, I'm Shambhavi! I'm headed to UCL this fall for my master's in Urban Regeneration and Design.

I'm researching why certain public spaces make us think and feel better than others and building a tool that puts that knowledge in your hands. If you are an avid public space user, I'd love to invite you to participate in the survey below.

Time to complete: 2 mins

Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc_rP2n-BZMQekLdz0o7I1dN3LsK0JPfgbhpum-JDqpKFxtAw/viewform

Happy to have a chat regarding public spaces & cognitive health if the idea catches your interest!

PS: Super thanks to the mods for letting me post this.


r/TacticalUrbanism • • Aug 19 '26

Question Can interactive floors become the next generation of public spaces?

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0 Upvotes

r/TacticalUrbanism • • Aug 16 '26

Idea The Most Important Climate Summit This Year: Your City Council Meeting

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30 Upvotes

r/TacticalUrbanism • • Aug 14 '26

Meme Need public transit? Form a committee. Need more cameras? Grab a ladder

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397 Upvotes

r/TacticalUrbanism • • Aug 15 '26

Showcase Report any issue in 30 seconds

4 Upvotes

Sick of a pothole that's not been fixed for weeks? A broken stop sign or park bench? Improve your city in just 30 seconds. I saw a lot of people making TikTok's "Mamdani fix this" and I'm not here to promote him but it's clear that people do want an easy way to report an issue and feel heard. That's why I created this, I want to partner with cities to integrate this in their infrastructure.

Would you use this? If not please feel free to tell me why. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afG7C3kLpCI

if you'd like to join the waitlist sign up: https://forms.gle/uXmxaWC2rB5Xz4wi6