Tactical urbanism strategically activates streetscapes and public realm and meaningfully engages the hearts and minds of the community. We can now apply tactical urbanism to helping people feel safe and comfortable in returning to places they love. We can also use it more purposefully by helping people discover new ways of getting to places, and perhaps discovering new places entirely.
Let’s design the future Wellington — and build it now using techniques and methods from tactical urbanism. We can quickly test ideas and through public engagement seek the new problems that need solving. Through a ‘tactical’ master plan we can provide opportunity for already active grassroots groups to become involved.
Groups such as Millions of Mothers, Living Streets, Cycle Wellington, Talk Wellington, and Connect Wellington all have great ideas about what a better city looks like but they are spending most of their effort trying to establish space in the first place. We now have the space, the cars are gone, we just need to design a new way of reinhabiting the city. People enjoy places that are a joy to move and linger in.