Toolbox for City Changers

3. Tactical urbanism and street design

Tactical urbanism means low-cost, temporary interventions in urban space that can test changes, make them visible and accelerate political action. Temporary interventions make alternatives visible. They can start conversations, help communities test ideas and build support for longer-term change.

Colourful street surfaces at Lendplatz in Graz.

Lendplatz in Graz as an example of traffic-calmed shared spaces with coloured markings. Photo: City of Graz, Simon Gostentschnigg.

Basic principles

Tactical urbanism works particularly well when five conditions come together:

  • The measure is rooted locally and solves a specific problem.
  • It can be implemented quickly and carries little risk.
  • It demonstrates a longer-term change on a small scale.
  • It builds relationships between the neighbourhood, initiatives, public administration and politicians.
  • It generates useful experience: What works, what needs adjusting, and who uses the space?

Six tools

The Tactical Urbanism Guide and Wir machen Wien materials identify six simple groups of tools:

  • Barriers such as bollards, concrete elements or planter rings
  • Greenery and planting elements
  • Street furniture
  • Surface design using colour
  • Signs and signage
  • Events

Quality lies in the appropriate use of an object, rather than the object itself: a painted surface is only effective if it changes behaviour, helps people find their way or makes a new use plausible.

Overview of the tool groups in the Tactical Urbanism Guide.

Tool groups from the Tactical Urbanism Guide by Street Plans. Source: Street Plans.

A practical process

Accordion

1. Start with people’s experiences.
Ask what makes a street feel welcoming, safe or useful. Personal memories—such as the streets people played in as children—can open up a conversation about what public space could offer today.
2. Identify who uses the street and what they need.
Consider children, older people, wheelchair users, cyclists, pedestrians, local businesses, delivery services and people who live nearby. Trees and other elements of the urban environment also have specific needs, such as enough space to grow.
3. Observe and assess the street together.
A simple street audit can help people discuss questions such as: Is there somewhere to sit? Is it noisy? How easy is it to cross? How is space divided between different forms of transport? The Leiwander Straßenradar, presented by Wir machen Wien, is one example of a tool for assessing a street across multiple categories.
4. Make a shared vision tangible.
A scale model or design table lets participants rearrange a street and explore different possibilities together. Temporary paint, movable seating, planters or full-size banners can show how a different street layout might feel in real life.
5. Test, listen and follow up.
Use a temporary intervention to gather reactions from residents and passers-by. Share what you learned, explain how feedback will influence the next steps, and connect the experiment to discussions with the local authority.

What can a temporary intervention achieve?

Prostorož’s examples from Ljubljana show how simple materials and temporary changes can create new places to sit, meet or spend time outdoors. In one project, a street was reimagined as a small public place using seating, colour and plants. In another, a temporary redesign near schools created a safer route and a place for children to spend time after school while a longer-term solution was still pending.

These examples also show that temporary does not have to mean short-lived. Choose materials to match the purpose: lightweight elements can work well for a brief test, while a pilot that may remain in place for years needs robust, repairable materials.

What to keep in mind

The process matters as much as the physical intervention. If people are only asked for feedback and then hear nothing about how it was used, participation can feel tokenistic. Be transparent about what can change, involve affected people early, and keep them informed as plans develop. Tactical urbanism works best when an experiment leads to learning—and when that learning has a clear path towards lasting, inclusive improvements.

Street painting and temporary use in Galileigasse in Vienna.

TikTak Galilei in Galileigasse, Vienna. Photo: Tim Dornaus.

Street design as a group tool

Wir machen Wien uses street design workshops to turn dissatisfaction into concrete visions of space. The modules can be used individually or together:

  • Street Design Table: A street plan is adapted using paper, scissors and pens. The group discusses uses, space requirements and alternatives.
  • Street Banner: Street widths are visibly divided to show how much space could be available for walking, cycling, greenery or spending time.
  • Tree Love Set: Mobile tree visualisations show where shade and greenery are needed.
  • Leiwander Straßen Radar: A simple survey sheet makes quality of life, safety and the need for action visible.
  • Street Shit Bingo: A walk sharpens awareness of obstacles, hazards and absurd misallocations of street space.

Running a local workshop

  1. Choose a street or junction.
  2. Gather problems: heat, noise, pavement width, crossings, parking pressure, conflicts, missing seating or green spaces.
  3. Measure the space or understand its dimensions using plans.
  4. Build alternatives: minimal, bold, long-term.
  5. Define an immediate measure: Which temporary action best demonstrates the idea?
  6. Clarify permits and alliances.
  7. Document the action afterwards: photos, people’s views, uses, media coverage and political reactions.

Video

Prostorož Ljubljana: Public space is shared space. Workshop contribution to the Toolbox for City Changers.

Materials