Urbanist Manifesto: Report Promotes DIY Urban Repair

Two dozen case studies illustrate the process of small-scale, often self-funded improvements to a street or public area, and ways in which they lead to permanent change. Among the case studies are examples of “chair bombing” (building chairs from waste wood for distribution in public spaces) and “setback reclamation” (making use of the distance mandated between homes and sidewalks, which tends to limit social activity to the back yard).

Usually unsanctioned at first, tactics such as “guerrilla” crosswalks or bike lanes demonstrate a community’s desire for a given improvement and provide an affordable means of proving viability. Increasingly, says the publication, municipalities are permanently implementing activists’ low-budget improvements. For more information, see www.streetplans.org.