Studio 02

Temporary / Tactical Urbanism

Kim Dovey & Matthijs van Oostrum

Studio Description

Temporary/tactical urbanism involves experimental urban design projects in underutilized urban spaces. Variously called 'pop-up’, ‘DIY’, ‘spontaneous’ or ‘guerrilla’ urbanism this is a multiplicitous approach to urban design that can work as complement or counterpoint to the permanent, strategic, fixed and formal outcomes of traditional urban design. Examples from temporary beaches, container villages, parklets and public living rooms to informal markets and guerrilla gardens are an increasingly pervasive feature of contemporary urban design. Such approaches can add agility, innovation, vitality and community engagement to underutilized urban space. They can also be seen as a form of ‘austerity urbanism’ or cheap urban design that meshes well with deregulated planning regimes and boom-bust cycles of neoliberal urban development. Contradiction is part of the challenge.

In this studio we will explore the potentials of temporary/tactical urbanism through a range of projects and sites in Melbourne. Students will choose their own sites and projects and will be expected to demonstrate a general understanding of urban informality and its relations to the formal structures of urban design; to see the city as a space of possibility; and to identify and
exploit underutilized capacities through innovative design approaches. Urban design quality will be assessed in terms of design for adaptation more than formal outcomes. There will be significant amounts of reading in the early phase of the studio which will be geared the work of both the Informal Urbanism Research Hub InfUr-, and the (RMIT/MSD) ARC Discovery Project  Temporary/Tactical Urbanism: Mapping Assemblages in Agile Public Space.

Schedule Tuesdays 12:00-15:00 in Room 138; Thursdays 15:15-18:15 in Room 238

!!! Please note: the studio leader will work with students impacted by clashes with ABPL90017 to ensure that they are not disadvantaged !!!

Contact Handbook Key Dates