Learning from the informal and temporary use of public space From bottom-up tactics to adaptive strategies of medium-term projects

Main Article Content

Matteo Clemente

Abstract

The paper deals with the theme of the temporary uses of public space related to bottom-up actions, with the aim of obtaining adaptive and resilient strategies for planning and designing the contemporary city which is currently characterized by uncertainty and scarcity of resources.
A literature review of tactical urbanism will help investigating the contingent requests behind these actions, with the aim of understanding whether the proposed models are enough effective to provide an answer to the citizens’ needs or if we can, at least, derive useful information from these self-organized models in terms of use of public spaces and socio-spatial relationships in the contemporary city.
On the other side, the paper reflects on the risk of a possible ideological drift towards a model of “city on demand", related to episodic urban transformations not supported by a wider vision.
The paper prospects a complementarity of top-down strategies, planned from above, and bottom-up tactics, identifying a possible synergy in the intermediate scale of urban regeneration projects.
Overcoming the idea of a "populist" urbanism, which sees the uselessness of the urban planner, we try to define a new role of the urban designer as a strategist, who has the ability to prefigure scenarios as well as to configure inclusive spaces for people.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Article Details

How to Cite
ClementeM. (2021). Learning from the informal and temporary use of public space. UPLanD - Journal of Urban Planning, Landscape & Environmental Design, 6(1), 5-12. https://doi.org/10.6093/2531-9906/8806
Section
Articles

References

Alberti, F., Scamporrino, M., Rizzo, A. (2016). Promuovere l’azione tattica. La temporaneità nella pratica Urbanistica. Proceedings of the International Conference Urbanpromo, XIII Edition. A New Cycle of Urban Planning Between Tactics and Strategy. 8-11 novembre. Milano 2016.

Bishop, P., Williams, L. (2012). The Temporary City. London: Routledge.

Boonstra B., Bolens L. (2011). Self-organization in urban development: toward a new perspective on spatial planning. Urban Research & Practice, 4(2), 99-122. doi:10.1080/17535069.2011.579767

Clemente, M. (2017). Re-design dello spazio pubblico. Milano: FrancoAngeli

Colomb, C. (2012). Pushing the Urban Frontier: Temporary Uses of Space, City Marketing, and the Creative City Discourse in 2000S Berlin. Journal of Urban Affairs, 34(2). doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9906.2012.00607.x

De Certau, M. (1984). The practice of everyday life. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Donovan, F. (2014). DIY urbanism: implications for cities. Journal of Urbanism: International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability. 7(4), 381-398. doi:10.1080/ 17549175. 2014. 891149

Douglas, G. (2014). Do-It-Yourself urban design: the social practice of informal “improvement” through unauthorized alteration. City & Community. 13(1), 5-25. doi: 10.1111/cico.12029

Garcia, A., Lydon, M. (2015). Tactical urbanism, Short term action for long-term change, Washington DC: Island Press.

Gehl, J. (2010). Cities for People, Washington DC: Island Press.

Haydn, F., Temel, R. (2006). Temporary Urban Spaces: Concepts for the Use of the City Spaces. Basel: Birkhauser.

Kitsinger, A. (2014). “Tactical Urbanism” or Public vandalism? PlannersWeb. News & Information for Citizen Planner. http://plannersweb.com/2014/01/tactical-urbanism-public-vandalism/

Lefebvre, H. (1991). The production of space. Oxford, UK & Cambridge, USA: Blackwell.

Lefebvre, H. (1991). The critique of everyday life. Verso: New York.

Project for Public Spaces (2001). How to Turn a Place Around: A Handbook for Creating Successful Public Spaces. Project for Public Places. New York City, NY

Sawhney, N., de Klerk, C., & Malhotra, S. (2015). Civic Engagement through DIY Urbanism and Collective Net-worked Action. Planning Practice & Research. 30(3), 337-354. doi: 10.1080/02697459.2015.1054662

Schaller, S., Guinand, S. (2018). Pop-up landscapes: a new trigger to push up land value? Urban Geography. 39(1), 54-74. doi: 10.1080/02723638.2016.1276719

Stickells, L. (2012). The right to the city, Rethinking architecture’s social significance. Architectural Review. 16(3), 213-227. doi: 10.1080/13264826.2011.628633

Silva, P. (2016). Tactical urbanism: Towards an evolutionary cities’ approach? Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design. 43(6), 1040-1051. doi: 10.1177/0265813516657340

Whyte, W.H. (1980). The social life of small urban places. Project for Public Space.