COVID-19 and Tactical Urbanism

This work sought to reflect on urgent adjustments in public space in times of crisis from tactical urban interventions. For this, it elucidates protective measures related to the control of the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular under the aspects of urban mobility and civil engagement, using for this the case study of the implementation of temporary cycle lanes in the municipality of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The methodology of this research was based on official publications made available electronically by the Municipality of Belo Horizonte and by the Company responsible for the transport and transit sector of Belo Horizonte (BHTRANS). In addition, this work was supported by publications available electronically from the Association of Urban Cyclists of Belo Horizonte (BH in Cycle) from 2012 to 2021. Based on the correlation between the material collected and the theoretical basis available on topics of interest to this research, the study aimed to discuss temporary and small-scale operations of the Tactical Urbanism type, implemented from the partnership between public authorities and civil society to ensure a safer urban mobility in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic during the year 2020 to date. The work highlights that the inclusion of Tactical Urbanism as a formal tool in urban planning can foster new local possibilities and immediate action strategies in the face of crises such as COVID-19, in addition to fostering citizen participation in decision-making processes about the city and its importance , guaranteeing basic rights such as moving safely.

O processo de autogestão de Can Batlló, em Barcelona: uma feição radical do urbanismo tático | The self-management process of Can Batlló in Barcelona: a radical perspective of tactical urbanism

O urbanismo tático tem sido disseminado como uma abordagem que utiliza ações de curto prazo e de baixo custo para demonstrar possibilidades de transformação de longo prazo nas cidades. É defen­dido como uma ação em que cidadãos, com suas próprias mãos, iniciam processos de transformação, em um contexto de ineficiência dos governos e de escassez de recursos. Apesar da crescente popula­ridade, a abordagem também vem gerando contro­vérsias; assim, o objetivo deste artigo é discuti-la em um viés mais radical, enquanto abordagem urbana de ruptura do status quo, utilizando como caso o processo de autogestão de Can Batlló, em Barcelona. Can Batlló é uma antiga fábrica têxtil, desativada na década de 1960, a qual nos últimos dez anos tem sido apropriada pela comunidade local, que vem praticando um sistema de autogestão e de criação de comuns urbanos. O artigo parte da apresentação do processo de transformação da fábrica, seguindo para a discussão sobre a crítica atual do urbanismo tático e para a interpretação do caso sob o viés mais radical, o qual experimenta formas alternativas de organização social para a promoção de transforma­ções gradativas em um espaço privado, de forma a convertê-lo em um comum urbano.

Applying a Pedestrian Level of Service in the Context of Social Distancing: The Case of the City of Madrid

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a lot of discussion about keeping interpersonal distance to prevent the virus from spreading. To keep this interpersonal distance, authorities at different levels have taken measures to reduce people’s interactions, such as reducing capacities, curfews, pop-up cycle lanes, temporary pedestrianisation, and lockdowns. Many of these temporary measures have been perceived from a static view. Nevertheless, in a scenario of “new normality” or in the face of a possible new pandemic, the amount of data (big data) generated by different sources, such as sensors, in large cities has extraordinary potential to be used together with tactical urbanism for quick adaptation. The aim of this study was to gain insight into the aforementioned issues by analysing spatio-temporal patterns of pedestrian mobility and developing a variation of the pedestrian level of service measure; the pandemic pedestrian level of service (P-PLOS). This measure provides a dynamic view of pavement capacities according to the interpersonal distance recommendations during the pandemic. P-PLOS was tested in the city of Madrid based on the pedestrian counter data that was provided by the local government through its open data website. We found that the application of P-PLOS, together with street design, allows for knowing where and when it is necessary to take tactical urbanism measures in order to maintain or improve the level of service, as well as where it is necessary to take measures to reduce pedestrian flow.

Decision Making in The Culture and Creative Industries Environment: Lessons from The Cultural Village

<p align="justify">Cultural village is an area-based development concept that engages with the culture and creative industries as well as tactical urbanism. Typically, a cultural village is situated in geographical areas that have traditionally had strong cultural themes and have the potential for socio-economic growth in the surrounding region. Decision-making in this environment differs from pure-profit sector decision-making. This study set out to draw lessons from the cultural village, especially in Global South, where the culturally-led consensus approach is used to reshape group decision-making processes. This study uses a systematic review method as a way to search, screen, analyze and synthesize knowledge from the academic database. The Scopus academic database is used for the search process. This paper concludes that the inclusion of culture into decision-making offers three stages of fundamental lessons for the community, which are flexibility, openness, and innovation. These three forms the foundation for the five main elements of decision-making in the cultural village, which include inclusive, participatory, collaborative, agreement-seeking, and cooperative. These findings suggest that the culturally-led consensus approach is a potential tool for policymakers to work with the community, especially to organize more bottom-up decision-making processes in traditional environments.</p>