Design
A Small Town's Adventures in Tactical Urbanism
A weekend-long experiment in Barberton, Ohio, showed residents how they can benefit from human-centered urban design.
On the final weekend of July, Barberton, Ohio’s 2nd Street looked conspicuously like portions of Broadway through midtown Manhattan. At a central intersection, colorful bump-outs extended the pedestrian space on the street, shortening crosswalks and forcing drivers to slow down and pay attention. Up the street, parking lots were transformed into a pop-up coffee shop and a mini dog park. One vacant lot became a beer garden, and another became a farmer’s market.
This new streetscape was the work of the Better Block Foundation, which captured the whole event by drone. Before-and-after shots show a rather dreary street come alive with pedestrians, cyclists, and colorful temporary infrastructure.