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Winter2013/2014 In This Issue What is Tactical Urbanism?...1 2014 Activities Plan…………….2 Section 2014 Budget…………..3 Around the section.....………..4 Legislative Update……………...5 From the Chair……………........6
Upcoming Events January 25– 15th Annual Great Air Potato Round Up 30– “Planning, Ecology, and the Emergence of Landscape” Lecture by Charles Waldheim
February March TBD– AICP Exam Preparation Course 22- Kohl’s Bike Ride Rodeo and Summer Safety Fair
April 16- “Dead End” Brown Bag lunch with author Ben Ross at Gainesville Community Design Center
For updated event information, please visit our website: http:// www.floridaplanning.org/ sanfelasco/index.asp
“2014 Section Theme: Tactical Urbanism” By Katherine K. Henderson, AICP, LEED-AP The San Felasco Section of APA Florida has chosen Tactical Urbanism as its theme for 2014. Tactical urbanism, named by Planetizen as one of planning’s top trends in 2011-2012, is an umbrella term for a wide variety of “light, quick, cheap” urban interventions. These small-scale projects bring together citizens, planners, activists, and politicians in a shared burst of creativity. By quickly demonstrating what a space or a place could be, tactical urbanism often sets the stage for adoption of larger projects or programs with long-lasting environmental and quality of life impacts. As a result, these strategies are gaining traction and generating excitement in cities all over the U.S., and throughout the world. Tactical urbanism interventions are characterized by their small scale and narrow focus. Examples include: pop-up restaurants; guerrilla gardening; pavement-to-parks; and open streets. Building on initial success, some tactical urbanism strategies are now growing into organized, international events, like Park(ing) Day. This annual worldwide event inspires artists, designers and citizens to transform metered parking spots into temporary public parks. In 2011, Park(ing) Day created 975 parks in 162 cities, and the event continues to grow each year. Some of tactical urbanism techniques, like yarnbombing, fall more into the category of public art. Others, like open streets, aim to achieve long-term physical change. One of the most famous examples of tactical urbanism is the recent transformation of the streets around Times Square in New York City. According to a blog post on Citiwire, a 1969 plan for pedestrian improvements on Broadway “sat on a shelf until 2009, when a tactical urbanism event closed the street in Times Square so people could bring folding chairs and hang out.” This test run was wildly successful, and resulted in permanent changes to Broadway.
Newly-opened street near Times Square, Manhattan (photo credit: Forgotten New York)
A firm called the Street Plans Collaborative has written two guidebooks on tactical urbanism, with one of their principals, Mike Lydon, as lead author. According to Lydon (as quoted in Atlantic Cities), “tactical urbanism is how most cities are built. Especially in developing nations…It’s stepby-step, piece-by-piece.” The key message: to make things work. Tactical urbanism strategies should seek to make something, even temporarily, that will change how a place functions and is perceived by its citizens. If enough people experience and appreciate this change, it has a greater chance of becoming permanent. —CONTINUED ON PAGE 7 —
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