#StreetoftheDay — Rue Alsace-Lorraine, Toulouse

Jenny Morris photo

Today my friend Jenny Morris, on her Toulouse morning walk turned a corner onto Rue Alsace-Lorraine and saw what she described as "a flotilla of umbrellas."

Jenny Morris photo

If you go walking in New York City...

If you go walking in New York City early enough in the morning, who knows, you might witness a scene like this one, which became the cover of The Times Magazine's Walking New York issue.

Posted by The New York Times on Thursday, April 23, 2015

From @TechCocktail — 6 Ways to Become Your Own City Planner

The trend is that governments are not only opening up data, but also their urban planning and budgeting processes. Public participation is taking on a whole new look. Local civic advocates are stepping up as collaborators who are well-versed in details once reserved for professionals. Wait – what? That’s right. Civic leaders around the country are tackling the normally staid topics of urban planning and traffic engineering on their own terms. Read more: 6 Ways to Become Your Own City Planner

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From Co.Create — IBM's Smarter Cities Continues With A Crowdsourced Pop-Up Park in Dublin

Last year, IBM and Ogilvy France created an award-winning outdoor ad campaign that transformed billboards into urban tools like benches, rain covers, and stairway ramps. For the campaign's next move, the brand and agency teamed up with creative social network Zooppa to put out a call to its global community for ideas to improve their cities and communities, offering prizes from $500 to $10,000. 

Out of 80 video entries, eight winners were picked based on their vision, efficiency, ability to execute, and ability to provide data for further insights. The top prize went to a plan from Dublin, Ireland, to turn an abandoned city lot into a thriving urban park and community space. Other winners included a cardboard bike form Israel, an urban farming initiative from Calgary, and a Detroit plan to transform an abandoned buildings into fish farming facilities.Read more: IBM's Smarter Cities Continues With A Crowdsourced Pop-Up Park in Dublin | Co.Create | creativity + culture + commerce

The Better Block — Celebrates 4 Years of Re-imagining Streets

from STREETFILMS For a very long time, Streetfilms has wanted to profile Jason Roberts and the amazing work of The Better Block. It was destiny that a few weeks ago we were able to sync up to be present for the fourth anniversary of The Better Block in Oak Cliff. This temporary pedestrian plaza was adjacent to the site where they first debuted their innovative ideas to change a street.

You'll see some of the behind-the-scenes set up and preparation. But I already know the visuals people will be talking about most is their transformation of a dangerous intersection in to a safer one using only temporary materials - especially a really inventive way of re-purposing decals as crosswalks More at: “The Better Block” Celebrates Four Years of Re-imagining Streets on Vimeo

Tactical Urbanism

Post by Happy City.

Tactical Urbanism: An Introduction —Planetizen Courses