Tactical Urbanism

[Just the facts]

I know this topic has come up in the past but I am seeing more and more instances of people taking matters into their own hands. I am even thinking of getting in on the act myself. Some things need to be corrected/fixed and going through all the proper 'channels' to get it done takes too long. Besides, if you ask the government they might say No.

Citizens post their own traffic signs - New York News

Projects like Nkki's are part of a growing trend called "tactical urbanism" in which regular citizens using tactics to try to improve the urban environment without the government's help.

...

"We don't always need to wait for the government to do things for us," he says. "If we can do them ourselves, we could and should."

Most of Nikki's and Keegan's signs were taken down, but some are still up.

In a statement, the Department of Transportation told Fox 5: "it's been a long-standing city practice to remove unauthorized signage."

On second thought, screw 'thinking' about it. I am going to do it. There are some items here in Jax that need to be fixed. I'll keep you posted.

[stick47]

I believe the city's signs were designed the way they were to maximize revenue.

[Mel]

If I could I would put speed bumps on my own street, and I HATE those things. People use this street to cut through from Silver Street to get to Czech Hall road. I have lived here since 1980 and 2 little ones have been hit. One died and the other poor thing will never have a normal life. There is a lot of cars parked in the street and the west 1/3 of homes are duplexes. Always a fresh batch of wee ones. I know it's the parents responsibility to watch children but let's face it. It doesn't happen. I also would like to have a certified radar gun with camera sync in to it. Take the proof down to the station and let them handle it.

[Prunepicker]

If I could I would put speed bumps on my own street, and I HATE those
things...

In a neighborhood I once lived I seriously thought about buying bags of
Quickrete and making speed bumps that were at least 1 foot high. I figured
if I got the fast setting and put them up after 2am my plan would work.
I justified my idea, that would have cost about $300, to the damage it
would have caused to the cars of idiot drivers.

I'll be glad to help ;-)

[Just the facts]

I don't want to make anything new, I just want to fix things that are broken. That way, even if I get caught what is the city going to do, re-break them? In many of Jacksonville's older neighborhoods there are pedestrian oriented street signs, but all the paint is worn off. Most people don't even know what they are. I want to repaint them and put the lettering back on. I figure I could do 4 or 5 a night but I might just start with one to see how it goes.

[RadicalModerate]

The photos you posted reminded me of something I saw during a recent excursion outside of the local Urban Sprawl . . .



btw: I salute you on your campaign to restore the signage. Better get a permit so you don't risk a fine. =)

"No Good Deed Goes Unpunished" . . . (and all that)

[RadicalModerate]

Come to think of it, your guerilla campaign for unauthorized Urban Improvement, also brought this one to mind. It's closer to home, like, in Guthrie.
I almost wanted to find a store nearby where I could buy some UltraSuperDuper Glue and mend it on the QT.

"Hi! My name is Ozymandias, but you can call me Oz."

[Just the facts]

See, that is my problem though. If I go ask the City there is a chance they will say No. I then have to deal with the local neighborhood historic preservation crowd of which some are just crazy enough to prefer the worn-out look vs. fixing it - and they might say No. In either case I do it anyhow. If I don't care what they say why should I even ask them? As for a fine - would that be cheaper than applying for a bunch of permits?

[RadicalModerate]

See, that is my problem though. If I go ask the City there is a chance they will say No. I then have to deal with the local neighborhood historic preservation crowd of which some are just crazy enough to prefer the worn-out look vs. fixing it - and they might say No. In either case I do it anyhow. If I don't care what they say why should I even ask them? As for a fine - would that be cheaper than applying for a bunch of permits?

Maybe if you used Authentic to the Period, Lead-Based Paint, they would say it was OK to proceed?
(and, of course, paint brushes with authentic, organic, horsehair bristles . . ?)

Perhaps you could write a book on this topic along the lines of

Except titled, "Paint This Sign". =)

Then, when you and the rest of your fellow conspirators (The Jacksonville Ten Thousand) go on trial--in Municipal Court--William Kunstler (or a hologram, thereof. or Matthew McCona--whatever) can act as your attorney! =)

[MadMonk]

You forgot the environmental impact assessment that would need to be done to make sure applying new paint to the sign wouldn't harm the environment. Also, be sure to protect the area around the sign with a sealed, negative-pressure enclosure so that you can catch the vapors of the drying paint.

[RadicalModerate]

When my daughter was very young, I used to take her to various parks on Sunday when I had custody. One of those parks was in Choctaw. Back then it was called, "John Miskelly Park" named after a departed, local, State representative. I noticed that at least a couple of the rungs on the horizontal monkey bars were loose enough to rotate enough to be a hazard to the tykes using the piece of playground equipment. I wrote a letter to the "Local Constabulary of Parks and Recreatation" pointing this out and volunteering to fix it. (I was a carpenter back in those days). I received a reply, stating in no uncertain terms that I was not to attempt to remedy the hazardous situation on my own and that it would be addressed by the proper maintenance personnel.

Maybe six months later, it was.

I decided, right then, that this sort of Community Service was more trouble than it was worth.
Even pointing out the problems often insults The Powers That Be. I suppose on account of they didn't notice them and therefore can't take credit. They can only get insulted.

Of course, this was decades ago . . . =)

[Just the facts]

Do you think Jeff Speck would bail me out?

[RadicalModerate]

Do you think Jeff Speck would bail me out?

Maybe not Jeff Speck, per se, but perhaps his cousin, Jeff Spec. . . ?

[Mel]

I wonder if they have a class at any of the Vo-Techs for "Ninja Signage and Street Repair"?

[RadicalModerate]

I wasn't being completely accurate, nor transparent, when I said that I had given up on Tactical Urbanism. I managed to persuade The Powers That Be to allow a double left turn from the exit ramp from The Hefner Parkway onto Memorial Road (with nothing more than an email and at the cost of a bit of "Approved" pavement paint and a minor change in signage on their part.) I have been unsuccessful, to date, in persuading Them to allow a double left turn from eastbound Memorial onto Southbound Meridian. You should have seen it just this morning . . . the left lane so backed up that people flying off the turnpike almost couldn't even exit. Which could have caused a backup onto the turnpike that might have resulted in an accident. Oy Vey!!! =)

[Just the facts]

Here is some more...

Tactical urbanism: Citizen projects go mainstream

[Prunepicker]

This is a well reasoned idea.

[Just the facts]

You can do this for free.

[PennyQuilts]

You can do this for free.

Yeah, I'd be the one stopping the car, glaring at the kids and leaving with their rope.

[RadicalModerate]

Yeah, I'd be the one stopping the car, glaring at the kids and leaving with their rope.

. . . Then turning around, shaking your finger at them (not THAT finger, the other one) and saying, "You just wait until I tell your mother about this . . ." with the implied future threat of "your mother" saying to the little scofflaws: " . . . You just wait until your Father gets home . . ." =)

Frankly, I didn't think kids today were clever enough to come up with a prank like that.

I suppose there may be hope for the future. =)

It probably made all the "drivers" look up from their cellphone texting for at least a second or two and pay attention to virtual reality on a different level. Too cool for school. In a way . . .

Our weapon of choice, when "we, the crew from the hood" were too inexperienced to know better, involved actual dirt clods. After a few reprimands from parents and police we realized that all it took to achieve the desired result was to act like we were going to do the same thing. And this was back in, like '62. =)

The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same. =)

[Teo9969]

Holy God that is funny, Prune….

Junge Junge Junge Junge….Hysterical!

[Stew]

Holy God that is funny, Prune….

Junge Junge Junge Junge….Hysterical!

Agreed....awesome.

[Mel]

2 good vids there. The first one caught me so off guard and I started laughing so hard I choked. The second one, well I might have pulled that prank my own self. I was a fast runner when I was younger.

[Prunepicker]

2 good vids there. The first one caught me so off guard and I started
laughing so hard I choked. The second one, well I might have pulled that
prank my own self. I was a fast runner when I was younger.

Shoveling sand on the street and stretching Saran Wrap across the street
was something that was done when I was a kid. The driver would see his
head lights reflecting on the wrap and hit the brakes and skidding on the
sand. I have no idea how many changes of underwear were made.

[Just the facts]

I worked with guy who never flush the toilet after taking a wiz - so I put Saran wrap over the bowl. He got the message. Not really urban, but it was tactical.