Punctual Urbanisms: Rapid Planning Responses to Urban Problems

Abstract

Traditional urban planning projects require considerable time, political buy-in, and capital. Conversely, small-scale urban interventions can be executed quickly and inexpensively. However, the terms used to describe these projects—such as tactical, pop-up, temporary, or insurgent urbanism—are numerous and overlapping, making them hard to distinguish from each other. We suggest that a single unifying term, punctual urbanism, can capture these different urbanisms. To justify this choice, we provide definitions and examples, as well as an overarching framework for understanding these urbanisms on the basis of two dimensions: who is implementing them and what is their temporal scale.