Street Experiments for Sustainable and Resilient cities

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/streetexperiments

Introduction

### Course Review: Street Experiments for Sustainable and Resilient Cities **Overview** In a world increasingly dominated by the automobile, the "Street Experiments for Sustainable and Resilient Cities" course offers a refreshing perspective on the importance of reimagining our streets as vibrant public spaces. As we navigate the challenges posed by urbanization and climate change, this course invites learners to rethink the very concept of streets—not just as mere channels for vehicle movement but as dynamic environments where social interactions can flourish, where children can play, and where communities can come together. The course encompasses a holistic exploration of streetscapes, presenting compelling evidence that the pandemic has catalyzed a transformation in public perceptions towards the communal use of streets. With a well-structured syllabus, this course promises to equip participants with the knowledge and tools necessary to lead impactful street experiments in their own communities. --- ### Syllabus Breakdown #### 1. Streets as Placemaking and Movement (Raising Awareness) Here, learners examine the dual identity of streets as spaces for both mobility and public encounters, particularly accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This week establishes a historical context, illustrating how our understanding of street functions has evolved over time. This segment is particularly insightful, as it discusses how even automakers are acknowledging the limitations of car-centric designs, suggesting that the future of mobility hinges on creative street experiments. #### 2. Getting to Know Street Experiments The second week takes participants on a global tour of successful street experiments that exemplify the multitude of ways streets can be reconfigured. By categorizing these experiments into four typologies, learners gain a clearer comprehension of the scope and diversity of tactical urbanism. The focus on bottom-up initiatives emphasizes the power of grassroots movements in nurturing healthier urban environments. #### 3. Implementing Street Experiments This module is pivotal for understanding the operational side of street experiments. The detailed discussions around the challenges faced when implementing such initiatives provide valuable insights into real-world applications. It emphasizes the significance of experiential learning—where community members can physically engage with their environments rather than just viewing conceptual designs. Additionally, the link between culture and street design invites participants to view streets through a socio-cultural lens, recognizing the importance of community involvement in shaping urban spaces. #### 4. Evaluating Street Experiments Finally, the course tackles the thorny issue of evaluating the effectiveness of street experiments. By questioning whether small-scale changes truly challenge existing mobility paradigms, learners are encouraged to think critically about the impact of their efforts. The emphasis on citizen engagement as a crucial factor in the sustainability of these experiments is particularly timely and highlights the necessity of community buy-in for both temporary and permanent changes. --- ### Recommendation I highly recommend the "Street Experiments for Sustainable and Resilient Cities" course for urban planners, city officials, community organizers, and anyone interested in rethinking urban design. The course provides a comprehensive understanding of how streets can be transformed into lively public spaces, making urban environments more livable and resilient. The blend of theoretical background with practical case studies allows participants to envision how these principles can be applied in their own local contexts. Furthermore, the emphasis on citizen involvement and cultural considerations makes this course particularly relevant as cities worldwide strive to adapt to the evolving needs of their inhabitants. I encourage potential participants to embrace the opportunity to challenge conventional notions of urban mobility and to become advocates for vibrant, people-centric public spaces. Transforming our streets into accessible, multifunctional environments is not just an aspiration—it is a necessity for sustainable urban living. Dive into this course and be part of the change!

Syllabus

Streets as Placemaking and Movement (Raising Awareness)

This week, we will explore how the COVID-19 pandemic served as a catalyst to open people's thinking about using streets for more social purposes and answer the question, "can functions of mobility and public space co-exist and simultaneously increase the liveability of cities?" We will visit a brief history of the evolution of streets, both in concept and using historical examples, and see how ideology influences people's willingness to reshape the street for different functions. Surprisingly, even automakers see the limitations of cars and are taking steps to hedge against different mobility futures by investing in street experiments and shared mobility.

This week, we go around the world to see practical examples of street experiments in action. In doing so, we see how experiments can be categorized into 4 different typologies in ascending functional complexity: simple street re-markings, alternative uses of parking spaces, reconversion of sections of streets, and the opening of entire streets to uses other than motorized traffic. We then pose the question, "How can tactical urbanism help create healthier streets?" leading us to find that bottom-up initiatives can be powerful instigators of change.

This week explores how street experiments are implemented, from start to finish, and we will learn about the challenges along the way. We find that street experiments are often the starting point for the transition of public space, and these experiments give people the chance to experience, to really feel the changes immersively, rather than just seeing plans on a board. We learn how to approach strategic problems by using tactical urbanism techniques, and how colorful and eyecatching spaces can do its own marketing. Finally, we make the connection between culture and street design, framing experiments in the context of "mobility culture" and asking us how real world laboratories can explore existing culture and explore new cultures.

This week, we ask "are we really challenging mobility systems with these relatively small scale experiments?" Despite all the colorful experimentation taking place around the world, not all experiments lead to permanent changes. We will explore how experiments can serve as short term actions through which alternative structure, cultures and practices are explored. We then look at the five characteristics of the city street experiments: Are they... radical, change-driven, feasible, strategic, and communicative? They are an initial step in the assessment framework since street experiments are so complex. Finally, we are challenged to involve citizens in the experimentation process, and you will learn that buy-in of the community is essential to the long-term success of making experiments permanent.