Type: Tactical Urbanism Demonstration Project Series
Size: 11 Projects (6 Counties: Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura)
Status: Complete
Street Plans, together with Alta Planning + Design, designed and implemented seven Tactical Urbanism projects as part of the Southern California Association of Governments’ (SCAG) Go Human region-wide safety and encouragement campaign. The primary goal of the Tactical Urbanism component of the campaign was to promote region-wide walking and biking, and allow residents to temporarily experience roadways that are designed for people – not just cars. The projects were implemented in 11 cities across the SCAG region during 2016-2017. Project types ranged from open streets events to demonstration projects (such as pop-up bike lanes and temporary traffic circles or curb extensions), depending on each city’s goals.
The first of the eleven projects was completed on October 2016 in Long Beach, CA. Dubbed “Activate Uptown,” the project featured an open streets event as well as a temporary bicycle boulevard. Street Plans led design and materials procurement for the bicycle boulevard, which included art crosswalks, a traffic circle, and other features. These temporary treatments allowed event attendees to experience an enhanced walking and biking boulevard, catalyzing momentum towards permanent change in the future. The second event occurred December 2016 in Cudahy, CA. This event featured a demonstration traffic circle, temporary bikeway markings, as well as a number of pedestrian safety improvements (such as curb extensions) near a local school. The third event in Garden Grove, CA featured demonstrations of protected bike lanes, art crosswalks, and a neighborhood greenway.
On Saturday, December 3rd, 2016 Street Plans implemented the second of seven demonstration projects in Cudahy, California, which featured a temporary protected bike lane, a pop-up traffic circle, and sidewalk extensions. This project also celebrated the kick-off to the LA River Upper Segment Revitalization Plan. The street safety projects not only slowed down traffic, but also created easier access to the LA River Bike Path.
Throughout the spring and summer of 2017, Street Plans helped deliver similar Tactical Urbanism projects in additional locations including the cities of Rialto, Rancho Cucamonga, and Riverside. The project series ended in June of 2017 with an Orange County project, in partnership with OC Parks and the cities of Anaheim and Yorba Linda.
The New Tropic, a Miami publication, writes about the ways Street Plans founders Tony Garcia and Mike Lydon are changing cities by “thinking small.” The article notes several examples of Tactical Urbanism projects in the Miami area, including the Ludlam Trail Project, which was co-founded by Street Plans Principal Tony…
If you missed the recent America Walks webinar on Tactical Urbanism you can check out it here.
Over the past seven years Street Plans has built a practice around implementing tactical urbanism projects around the globe. Our four open-source guides and recent book, along with other resources, provide substantial case-study level information on the topic, but, we’ve heard time and again that what is needed now is more guidance…
In an interview with Vienna’s leading newspaper Wiener Zeitung, Street Plans Principal Mike Lydon explains how urban development can work cheaply and quickly in the midst of the Urban Future Festival in the City of Graz.
Street Plans Principal Mike Lydon weighs in on the concept that Street Plans, in collaboration with Transportation Alternatives, worked on for the Grand Concourse in New York, one of the most dangerous streets in the greater New York region: “Because of the high surface transit needs, we found the best…
Street Plans is working with America Walks to lead a Webinar as part of the organization’s “Tools for the Field” series. The webinar will explore the role that Tactical Urbanism can play in creating communities that promote enjoyable and accessible physical activity. Sound interesting? Join us for the webinar! Photo: Pilot curb extension…
Last night, 220 people joined us at the North Beach Charrette! The event kicked off with a presentation on town planning & community revitalization. Following the presentation, attendees worked alongside their neighbors to draw their vision for the future of North Beach. Street Plans was excited to participate as the lead…
Portland has announced a competition to design the six-mile carless pathway known as Green Loop, a proposal in the city’s 2035 Central City Plan. The winner of the competition will be awarded a $20,000 grant at this April’s Design Week Portland. Street Plans Principal Mike Lydon will jury the competition…
On January 31, Street Plans Principal Mike Lydon will present as part of a panel at the International Symposium on Promoting Physical Activity in Public Spaces in Clearwater, FL. The conference focuses on how open streets can help communities reclaim urban public space to promote a culture of health.
On February 1, 2016, Street Plans Principal Mike Lydon will present to the University of Minnesota College of Public Interest Design in Minneapolis, MN.
