INGREDIENTS FOR SUCCESS QUICK BUILDS FOR BETTER STREETS:

A NEW PROJECT DELIVERY MODEL FOR U.S. CITIES

AN UNDERSTANDING OF CONTEXT/ NEED

A TEAM

Successful projects are typically very collaborative and context sensitive - design treatments and evaluation metrics should be calibrated to directly respond to needs and/or challenges at the focus location. The needs may stem from community desires, data (such as crash data at an intersection), or the vision set forth in a planning document. Most of the case studies highlighted in this guide arose from a foundation of community support, based on a localized understanding of context and need.

Whether you’re planning a day-long pop-up bike lane or a more formalized 6-month pilot, you’ll need a team to make any sanctioned Tactical Urbanism project happen. At any time interval, the Tactical Urbanism approach is requires a high degree of collaboration from partners across a range of disciplines and skill sets. As noted in the previous pages, support and participation from the following key stakeholders is critical: agency leaders, local politicians, residents, advocacy groups, and the city staff that will be involved in project implementation. For cityled projects, Quick Builds for Better Streets recommends cities designate a specialist to be involved in every pilot or interim-design project.

CONSTRAINTS

In Quick Builds for Better Streets, PeopleForBikes outlines nine ingredients for integrating the “quick build” approach into a city’s project delivery process, highlighting bureaucratic innovations your city can use to enable infrastructural innovations. The ingredients listed here build on content from this document, with a few additions. To read the Quick Builds for Better Streets document, visit: bit.ly/ QuickBuildsReport

What non-negotiable constraints exist as perimeters around your project? This could be a specific do-ordie time frame, or an installation restriction you can’t bend. Outlining parameters at the outset, and clearly communicating them to stakeholders, will help get everyone on the same team. Embrace constraints, they are a key ingredient for project success and often bring out unexpected solutions! Quick Builds for Better Streets notes that installation deadlines, in particular, are “mandatory, whether dictated by the first big snowfall of winter, by a repaving schedule or by a mayoral pledge.”

GOALS Your Tactical Urbanism project should be designed around a clear project goal (or set of goals) - the goal should stem from an understanding of context and need, and be developed in collaboration with stakeholders and project team members. Goals are essential for developing the project design, establishing a threshold for project adjustments, and measuring success. (See Measurement for more info.)

A COLLABORATIVE DESIGN PROCESS Mapping out design and programming elements for Tactical Urbanism projects typically involves a high degree of collaboration and communication. Whether at the demonstration or interim-design time interval, projects may require collaborations between city staff and stakeholder agencies, neighborhood groups, business organizations, advocacy organizations, and local artists. Such partnerships are important for procurement of materials, creating a plan for programming/activation, and creating a plan for ongoing stewardship once the project is built.

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