Tactical urbanism is getting a high-profile test run in Boston.
Nicole Dungca reports: "The city of Boston on Tuesday morning transformed two blocks near Franklin and Arch streets, creating a “pop-up” plaza."
"The 'pop-up plaza' is a prelude to what the city wants there eventually: a permanent plaza that would invite more people to sit down in a busy area outside Millennium Tower, one of the highest-profile new luxury condominium complexes in Boston," adds Dungca.
In a validation for the concept, the developers of the Millennium Tower worked with the Boston Redevelopment Authority, the Public Works Department, and the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District to develop the pop-up plaza. The article includes more detail about how the city and its stakeholders will conduct the experiment.
The office of Mayor Martin J. Walsh also released an announcement describing the new pop-up plaza.
FULL STORY: ‘Pop-up plaza’ transforms Downtown Crossing — for now

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street
If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.

Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces
Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.

Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.
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