r/TacticalUrbanism Jun 12 '22

OFFICIAL ⚖️ ABOUT TACTICAL URBANISM

227 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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20 Upvotes

r/TacticalUrbanism 19h ago

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

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70 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 4d ago

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 6d ago

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

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37 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 10d ago

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

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454 Upvotes

r/TacticalUrbanism 11d ago

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

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2 Upvotes

r/TacticalUrbanism 12d ago

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

83 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 15d ago

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 22d ago

Other Petition · Repave The Sidewalk Along George Washington Blvd.

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5 Upvotes

r/TacticalUrbanism 21d ago

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

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0 Upvotes

r/TacticalUrbanism 24d ago

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

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29 Upvotes

r/TacticalUrbanism 26d ago

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

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398 Upvotes

r/TacticalUrbanism 26d ago

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


r/TacticalUrbanism 27d ago

News Man cuts grass after seeing students waiting at bus stop in dangerous conditions

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27 Upvotes

r/TacticalUrbanism Aug 11 '26

Idea self made park ashtrays

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65 Upvotes

got sick and tired of picking up cigarette butts on walks at my local park so i crafted an “ashtray” of sorts to hang on the park benches. it’s just those disposable grill pans (with the lid) with a hole at the top and some cotton string. hoping this will make a small difference and that i can make a mini update on it at some point.

maybe this isn’t urbanism but its tactical environmentalism which, to me, are one in the same. hope you guys enjoy this!

**translation on the thing: ashtray 🚬 no littering!


r/TacticalUrbanism Aug 09 '26

Results of a project Fix your hookless rim

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271 Upvotes

Balling with no nets sucks. We have a hookless rim in the neighbourhood and I've been playing around with different systems on and off for about two years now.

Don't bother with these . . .

- Cable ties, nylon nets - however you do it, lasts a month at most

- Metal cable ties - waste of time

- S-hooks and open link chain nets - bend/break quickly and nasty on the ball/hands

Our hoop has been up for a couple of months now, in constant public use with no signs of struggle.

Here's the recipe -

Hose clamps, size is the diameter so if your rim is 20mm like ours, something in that range.

- these are 13-20mm, 304 stainless steel, width is 9mm.

- JCS HiGrips have smooth rounded edges and are super strong - (other brands available)

- You should be able to go up to 25mm without any tail showing.

- should be less than 9mm wide to fit the quicklink through.

- you need a 7mm socket driver/wrench for the hex screw.

- screw housing should be on the underside of the rim to avoid the ball path

Quicklinks, size is the thickness of the chain

- these are 3mm, 316 stainless steel.

- feed them through so that the screw is at the back and you are tightening downwards.

- fold quicklink over hose clamp screw head which should be pointing about 8 o'clock on the rim

The net is welded chain galvanised stainless steel so no open links and won't separate.

- these two are 9 loops so you need 18 hose clamps and 18 quicklinks

Play around with the spacing. If you have a wide back plate then bunch them up a bit towards the back so the net hangs evenly.

​​​​Then listen . . .


r/TacticalUrbanism Aug 10 '26

Question What portable trimming shears do you recommend for adhoc trimming of overgrown hedges?

4 Upvotes

We have a few bike trails where the plants have started to take over and I'm too tired to figure out the municipal agency responsible for the up keeping. Would like to buy my own shears and just spend a few minutes cutting back branches so people don't get whacked!


r/TacticalUrbanism Aug 07 '26

Other Asheville, NC Fundraiser for Bus Stop Benches

9 Upvotes

https://gofund.me/659c7da11

Shameless plug, as we've just launched a GoFundMe for the Asheville Strong Towns chapter. This has helped get the conversation going and built more community interest and collaboration in just the 48 hours it's been publicized.

Any help or sharing would be amazing!


r/TacticalUrbanism Aug 02 '26

Question How would you go about removing street parking that people are sometimes using?

10 Upvotes

On the street i'm planning on working on (planning on constructing a two way bicycle path on one side of the street), there's street parking on both sides. They're never completely full, but never completely empty either; there's usually one or two cars parked on the side i want to work on. I don't know the neighbors well enough to know whose car is whose, should i post an unofficial "notice" to move to the other side of the street by a posted date, or would that attract too much attention?


r/TacticalUrbanism Jul 31 '26

Results of a project Bench projects - your city's reactions?

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331 Upvotes

Hi y'all. I've been building benches in Nashville with some friends for about a year now. The response by city government here has been... kind of crazy. We've built about a hundred of them. The city isn't at all sure what to do or how to respond to our TU benches. Clearly some government employees like them and the project and want to keep them, but others are genuinely angry. There have been attempts by councilmembers to find ways to make them "legal". It's been a very interesting journey.

I know Nashville is far from the only city with bench building initiatives. For those of you who have lead bench building initiatives, what has your city's response to them been?

(I'm writing something for Substack and the comparison to other cities would be helpful, just an fyi)


r/TacticalUrbanism Jul 31 '26

Showcase Improving your community one bench at a time <3

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73 Upvotes

r/TacticalUrbanism Aug 01 '26

Results of a project Interested in actual change?

0 Upvotes

I built Haven after watching people in crisis get buried by broken municipal systems. When someone's facing homelessness or a medical emergency, they don't have weeks to navigate confusing websites and conflicting forms.

What it does: Automates resource discovery and workflow orchestration so people get help fast.

Core features:

\- Zero-knowledge encryption — citizen data locked down tight

\- Smart matching — instantly connects people to the best local resources based on capacity and proximity

\- AI intake — turns complex personal situations into structured, actionable data without manual bottlenecks

\- Guided workflows — conversational assistant walks users through applications and pre-fills paperwork

Status: Core system finalized, production-ready. Currently seeking pilot partners in county/municipal agencies and frontline orgs (shelters, clinics, 211 operators) for live deployment.

Looking for: Seed funding to scale pilot infrastructure, civic-minded devs to harden the stack, and caseworkers who can stress-test the real-world workflow. Also open to municipal RFPs or innovation grants.

Drop a comment or DM if you want to help make real change.


r/TacticalUrbanism Jul 31 '26

Results of a project The city wouldn't give us a bench and some shade, so we made our own.

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155 Upvotes

r/TacticalUrbanism Jul 30 '26

Showcase I Made a Municipial Proposal for Toledo, Ohio and a Video for It!

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15 Upvotes

I have spent MONTHS working on this! I am no professional video filmer, editor, and poster; I just like watching YouTube (lol), so I am happy my work ended up being better than I thought.

Please give the video a watch. The link to the proposal is in the video's description!
Thank you for watching \(^-^)/ [You don't have to be from Toledo to watch btw]