Courage for Change. Tactical Urbanism as an Impulse for the Transformation of Public Spaces

Cities, municipalities, and regions are currently facing a multitude of crises and are challenged to shape multiple transformation processes. In this context, terms such as sustainable, resilient, inclusive, just, livable, healthy, or climate-fit are emphasized – for example, in the guiding principles of the Austrian Spatial Development Concept ÖREK 2030 – Raum für Wandel (ÖROK, 2021) or in the Guideline Lighthouses for Resilient Cities 2040 by the Austrian Climate and Energy Fund (2022). An essential pillar of ecologically sustainable and resilient spatial development is green and open space design. Increasing scarcity of open spaces due to infill development, declining air quality, and negative climate effects give urgency to corresponding demands (Furchtlehner et al., 2021). This mainly concerns densely built residential areas and Gründerzeit quarters, which are subject to particular usage pressure and exhibit high climate sensitivity (Hagen et al., 2021). While the urgency of climate change adaptation is increasingly mentioned in political programs and development plans (Furchtlehner et al., 2021), there is still a lack of translation into tactics for implementing concrete measures and solutions in many places. It becomes evident that planning specifications and development goals alone are not sufficient to drive comprehensive change. Alternative approaches are needed that promote societal acceptance and co-creation and increase political pressure for action. Against this background, short-term – including temporary – interventions for redesigning public spaces and activating the population in the sense of tactical urbanism (see Infobox p. 2–3) are gaining importance. By making the added value of systemic changes experienceable and verifiable at an early stage, they can increase awareness and acceptance in the population, administration, and politics. Their special potential lies in enabling learning processes that can accelerate long-term transformation (Lydon & Garcia, 2015; Vallance & Edwards, 2021). The Open Networking Meeting in June 2023, under the motto "Courage for Change – Tactical Urbanism as an Impulse for Transformative Urban Restructuring," invited pioneers of the transformation of public spaces to share their experiences.

Research report

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