'Tactical Urbanism NOW!' Competition Announces the Results of its First Edition

TerraViva Competitions has officially released the complete list of winning projects of the design contest "Tactical Urbanism NOW." The challenge of the competition was to encourage participants to imagine a city where public space goes beyond the traditional conception of a park, a square, or a street. The idea was to experiment with new urban scenarios able to promote social exchange, community activities, and citizens’ interaction through the implementation of multifunctional designs. 

Awarded projects were able to tackle worldwide urban issues in smart and creative ways, experimenting with innovative solutions capable of redefining the paradigm of contemporary public space.

Organized by TerraViva Competitions, in collaboration with Needle Agopuntura Urbana, the competition was open to students, architects, designers, artists, makers, activists, and anyone interested in the transformation of the contemporary urban space.

The winners were selected by an international jury panel composed by:

• Paloma H. Ermakova (Stefano Boeri Architetti)
• Héctor Esrawe (Esrawe Studio)
• Patrizia Di Monte (GravalosDiMonte Arquitectos)
• Elena Barthel (Rural Studio)
• Richard Ingersoll (PoliMi)
• Emanuele Barili (ECÒL)
• Elisa C. Cattaneo (b.l.u.e.)
• Massimo Triches (Babau Bureau)

1st Prize - “Rebirding for social impact”
Project by: Nathalie Eldan, Victoria Sosolic (France)

Project Description: In the context of climate change, where the biodiversity is disappearing in the large metropolises and where the presence of birds is rapidly diminishing, we propose through our concept to repopulate the public space with local birds. We chose this axis for a tactical renewal in a deserted plot in the heart of Paris. The site has remained for years an inhabited ruin.

The current tendency of the city is to transform the streets into pedestrian areas. The site we chose responds to the same strategy, it is currently car-free and close to a pre‐ school. We imagine an evolutive project in three phases that can be readapted in many other similar situations in Paris. The first phase includes vegetal strata, integrating a flora dimension to the street. A wooden floor is plugged‐ into the site highlighting the pedestrian area. The second phase proposes urban furniture for the public as well as nests and an adapted environment for the birds. The bird's habitat is made of seven recycled wooden towers. An observatory tower is also provided for visitors. The purpose is to be able to host and observe fauna. The last dimension is a synthesis of the scenario, creating a local community around the birds. The re-birding project aims to develop a collective imaginary that puts environmental issues on the frontline. The project acts as a catalyst for the wider neighborhood redevelopment.

2nd Prize - “Musical Ecosystems”
Project by: Callum Skinner, Jia‐Hao Yang, Stanley Smith (United Kingdom)

Project Description: Alternative music venues in Budapest allow marginalized groups to express themselves politically and socially, whilst providing a space for NGO’s to operate effectively away from the stigmatization experienced throughout the city. The current illiberal regime in Hungary seeks to weaken these crucial institutions, both directly through venue closures or restrictions, and indirectly via negative press and propaganda. A rapid gentrification process throughout forward‐ thinking areas only exacerbates these issues, pushing venues out of the districts they are most effective in. The COVID‐19 pandemic now threatens the existence of these independent, free‐ thinking outlets.

Musical Ecosystems in Budapest has proposed that these essential initiatives need urgent help. Analysis of existing venue infrastructures indicates that event spaces require a greater urban presence to improve outreach and strengthen their image within the city. The proposal would provide mobile space extensions and make use of the abundant derelict buildings found in the Magdolna quarter. This versatile module would firstly facilitate easy storage and transportation of music equipment around the city, providing an opportunity for spontaneous musical concerts. It would provide an adaptable and transformative structure, acting as a bandstand for performances, or to workshop arrangements for interactive events within the community. Thirdly, it would serve as an intuitive urban soundscape to advertise venue spaces. These mobile musical ecosystems would enrich the soundscape of Budapest’s public spaces and enable vulnerable independent music venues to develop their urban presence. Advertising their diverse musical scheduling to the city encourages marginalized groups to immerse themselves in music, through spectating, performing, or learning.

3rd Prize - “Eventopia”
Project by: Lorenzo de Pascale, Loris Luigi Perillo (Italy)

Project Description: Milan is a city full of events. Events are extraordinary, transformative, evanescent. They turn on and off. Events are the new social ritual and they build the community. Eventopia is the possibility to design public architectures for public events. With an app for smartphones and a public monitor, you can organize your event and report it on the public screen of Eventopia. Everyone is invited to participate! Personal performances, theatrical performances, or improvised film projections: Eventopia is available to everyone and it’s ready to satisfy every kind of desire! A platform full of technological equipment rests on a painted floor designing the intervention area. Sound systems, projectors, removable monitors. When Eventopia is activated, all its devices can be used and, if necessary, a magical plastic dome inflates electronically, transforming the spatial and lighting quality with its LED systems. 

During the daylight, when Eventopia sleeps, Eventopia is a huge bench for the whole community, in a place in the center of Milan, Piazza Edison, now invaded by parked cars. Its bright and reflective colors reveal its presence and importance. Eventopia is a new monument of the city, but an ironic one. You can sit on it, you can dance inside! You can use it however you want. It even has a power station to charge your electronic devices! Welcome, dear Eventopia.

Golden Mention #1 - “We‐Cook”
Project by: Wei Xiao, Rachel Au‐yeung (United States)

Golden Mention #2 - “Garoé”
Project by: Giacomo Caputo (Italy)

Honorable Mention - “Living On The Street”
Project by: Kai Wang, Haojun Yan, Yihui Mai, Wen OuYang (United States)

Honorable Mention - “Mahal Tarlabaşı”

Project by: Ezgi Umut Türkoğlu, Gizem Altan (Turkey)

Honorable Mention - “Prospettiva Ballarò”
Project by: Chiara Torregrossa, Beatrice Balducci (Italy)

Honorable Mention - “Cat‐Streetopia”
Project by: Sarah Mui, Alan Cheung, Garrick Chan, Ryan Tung, Daisy Ng (Hong Kong)

Honorable Mention - “Follow the Data”
Project by: Malena Blanco, Carolina Guerra, Santiago Hernández, Hanyoung Lee (Argentina ‐ South Korea)

Honorable Mention - “Home is where you can”
Project by: Emma Neri (Italy)

Honorable Mention - “Ladder Street Revitalization”
Project by: Chong Jun Qiang, Neoh Jia Wen, Tan Chee Siang, Ang Wei Yi (Singapore ‐ Malaysia)

Honorable Mention - “Lots of People”
Project by: Einat Lubliner, Palvasha Sophia Khan, Yile Xu (Israel ‐ United States ‐ China)

Honorable Mention - “Res Publica”
Project by: Marco Conti, Francesca Conti, Marco Maiello (Italy)

Honorable Mention - “Foun’Ta’Sy”
Project by: Dren Begolli, Edona Murseli, Ferat Mustafa, Genc Blakaj, Vjollca Podvorica, Vlera Serhati (Kosovo)

To learn more about all the competition winners click here.