From Community to Creation
The article “Tactical Urbanism in Baltimore Yields Safer Streets, Inspiring Art” by Ben Abramson explains how temporary mixed with community focused design can improve safety and make urban spaces more welcoming. The projects discussed in the article were created by artist and designer Graham Coreil-Allen, who combines public art with changes to streets and sidewalks. His work focuses on areas where streets were designed primarily around moving cars by changing how certain streets and intersections are used. These installations can create safer spaces for pedestrians while also giving communities an opportunity to express their identity through art. This concept makes me wonder if there is a way where we can write messages or make art on the sidewalk where we can inform people about invasive species. Or another way to look at it is with using different textures and colors there might be a chance certain colors would be still visible in darker settings.
Coreil-Allen’s firm is often brought in to consult on neighborhood projects with variable budgets and scopes. But one thing he consistently finds is the need to remedy a dangerous transportation system.
In Baltimore, that design includes a racial history as highway building prioritized moving cars through existing urban neighborhoods to outlying suburbs. “The streets are in the essential most public space of a community. And so they really should be privileging the community members who live there first,” says Coreil-Allen.
One project that Graham made was located near Druid Hill Park which is an area that was difficult for pedestrians to cross because a busy road which separated the neighborhood from the park. Coreil-Allen worked with local residents to identify types of trees that were meaningful to the community. The shapes of the leaves were then incorporated into artwork along the sidewalks and crosswalk. The design makes it more noticeable and creates a visual path for people walking toward the park. this makes me think about how ODNR showcases many events across their different events. Some are hiking, teaching induvial, fishing, etc. There is a possibility that we could make a way where the community gets involved with the project and comes to paint so it's not just us, the designer, who are the ones making it.
Coreil-Allen notes that tactical urbanism can play a vital role in the city ecosystem. Because of the long time horizon for municipal engineering projects, even neighborhoods that might be slated for major improvement projects still have a long stretch with their existing problems."
"Traffic-calming was executed using curb extensions, poles, and paint, but the art provided a special connection to the community. "
"after artists stenciled the design, the neighborhood was invited to help paint it, thus offering an “opportunity for the community members to have a hand in making the artwork and thereby building ownership in the public space,” says Coreil-Allen.
The article also describes projects that physically change the way drivers interact with intersections. These projects show that traffic safety does not always require completely rebuilding a street. Smaller changes can alter how people move through an area while making the space more visually interesting. Community participation is another important part of the projects. These projects introduced traffic calming features, including curb extensions and painted areas, but the artwork also gave the neighborhood a way to connect with the design. This allows the people who use the space every day to physically contribute to its transformation. We can think about how we can move people in the same manner when thinking about our parks. Parks don't get that much funding, but when you involve community it leads to possibility, people who care, and take ownership of their surroundings.
References
Abramson, B. (2023, June 27). Tactical urbanism in Baltimore yields safer streets, inspiring art. Strong Towns Archive. https://archive.strongtowns.org/journal/2023/6/27/tactical-urbanism-in-baltimore-yields-safer-streets-inspiring-art
Grammarly. (n.d.). https://www.grammarly.com/
