Making public spaces better by temporary uses : a brief critical reflection

The aim of this paper is to develop a short, critical reflection on the employ of temporary uses in the improvement and activation of public spaces of Western developed countries. It considers the motivating factors behind the promotion or restriction of these uses, and how these might connect to, or impede, broader goals of democratic, meaningful, and responsive places. Attracting the attention and skills of urban planners and designers, temporary uses have gradually distanced themselves from their original role and capabilities: the imposition of programs, standards, and regulations has routinely tamed the vitality, spontaneity, and creativity of temporariness. To this end, this note argues that the aestheticization propelled by temporary and tactical urbanism may have negative, indirect effects, reinforcing dominant views and normative beliefs of order, legitimacy, and spatial control.