Exploring implementation mechanisms of Tactical Urbanism in Jordan

Abstract

In recent times, there has been a global emergence of tactical and temporary urban interventions as a novel approach to enhancing local neighborhoods with minimal risks. These interventions include various activities in the built environment, such as street art, pop-up shops, urban festivals, gardening, and seasonal markets. This trend has garnered the attention of both scholars and policymakers due to its growing popularity. The academic literature often refers to these interventions as tactical urbanism (TU), pop-up urbanism, temporary urbanism, DIY urbanism, and guerrilla urbanism. This paper examines temporary urban interventions as urban catalysts to further explore their potential in enhancing urban spaces in a Middle Eastern context, focusing on Amman, Jordan. The study employs purposeful critical sampling, semi-structured interviews, and the Urban Catalyst model to identify and categorize the implementation mechanisms of several interventions into tactics and strategies. The research findings suggest a potential outline for strategic and tactical implementation approaches that may support the understanding of the interventions by practitioners, policymakers, and tacticians. The study concludes by highlighting actions that actors can take to manage, experiment with, and utilize tactical and temporary interventions in Amman.