Tactical Urbanism (TU) is an approach to urban design and activation using short-term, low-cost and scalable interventions.
Studentenwerk
During my minor Urban Retrofitting, I dived into Tactical Urbanism. During this minor, I could join a group of six students who, facilitated by Alain Laiseka Villalba of Diputacion Foral de Bizkaia and coached by Ineke Spapé and Tim van Wershoven, got the opportunity to bring TU into practice in Bilbao, Northern Spain (FreshBrains project). You may know the Bilbao effect, a phenomenon in which a city grows into importance and wealth through the construction of a striking building by a well-known architect. In Bilbao, this is the Guggenheim Museum, designed by Frank Gehry.
Why was the FreshBrains project a great experience? First of all, we could work together with Spanish students, which meant enjoying intercultural perspectives and ideas. Second, it was super cool to do an actual TU event, in our case a Bike Guerilla. We created an opportunity for students and staff of Leiao University to try riding an E-bike as a means to create enthusiasm for cycling. The E-bike might really be a solution in this part of Bizkaia since it is rather hilly. Third, we looked at how kids of Amorebieta can get to school by bike safely. Since children are the future, I think that if kids can get into the habit of cycling, this may have a great impact on future transport. Finally, I had the chance to meet really nice people in Bilbao and experience the work field of urban design and spatial planning in Spain. I would recommend participating in a FreshBrains project to everyone.
