ABSTRACT
The concept of the Temporary City unfolds out of an understanding that the city—as our social, economic, and ecological environment—is rooted in a four-dimensional, highly dynamic scenography: a space that changes on a daily or even hourly basis while also consisting of more permanent elements. Bishop and Williams (2012) argue that the Temporary City today has its own legitimation as temporary strategies can be powerful tools while we wait for funding to support long term solutions. This position aligns with urbanist Jan Gehl (Gehl 2012), who argues that temporary public spaces, when integrated as a part of a wider street-design process, can act as public consultation at actual scale and in real-time—offering a model for citizen engagement. The temporary project reshapes the public realm until the “permanent” design will be implemented.
Analyzing a wide array of urban theories and projects dedicated to the Temporary City over the last ten to fifteen years, this essay will attempt to describe typologies of temporary public spaces. A commonality of these projects is their positioning between top down and bottom up, allowing citizens and public agencies to cooperate in the construction of new public spaces.
