Free tactical urbanism toolkit for councils launched

Rethink Re:Place makes placemaking user-friendly, by offering training opportunities and upskilling techniques

When Covid-19 restrictions are over, let’s build on community cohesion to have conversations about our places and tactical urbanism, says Nathan Coyle, managing director of New Union, a UK based not-for-profit civic innovation organisation.

The Community Focused Tactical Urbanism toolkit is a free, downloadable workshop that anybody can facilitate and here’s why: When you click the download link, you’ll get a guidebook, a presentation for your big screen, a workshop manuscript (meaning that the facilitator can just follow a script), material printouts for activities and a host of marketing materials (including graphics to share on Twitter), supporting materials for Eventbrite, and even an editable poster you can add your own information and branding to and then share around you area.

On the New Union blog, Coyle says: ‘Tactical urbanism consists of low-cost, temporary changes to a built environment, usually in cities, intended to improve local neighbourhoods and city gathering places. Perhaps most important is that it can be done cheaply or at no cost, by almost anyone.

In this downloadable Community Focused Tactical Urbanism workshop we will guide you through what it is in easy to understand language and a series of participative exercises.’

Alongside the basics, explained through various relatable examples, you and the participants will also learn about:

• Chair bombing?

• Pop-up street food events?

• ECOmmunity days?

• Community cohesion?

• Guerilla signposting?

• Depaving?

• Green spacing

Rethink Re:Place makes placemaking user-friendly, by offering training opportunities and upskilling techniques. We know it can be difficult to engage the community - either they’re uninterested or otherwise in the dark about what it is they can do - and so we’re creating a suite of toolkits that explain placemaking’s various facets in easy-to-understand, straightforward language.

Writing on LocalGov.co.uk, Coley adds: 'So, to reiterate, it’s free and there is absolutely no catch - it is open source and licenced under the Creative Commons framework. Please use it to do some good in your own communities and capitalise on the reignited community compassion that has been unleashed and will grow exponentially as soon as the restrictions are lifted.'