While Tony Cherolis is taking a long-distance biking break from Hartford, he found time to write this August 19th CT News Junkie op-ed that illustrates how several communities are taking a do-it-yourself tactical urbanism approach to improving transportation safety and quality of life in their neighborhoods.
When your state or local government is not getting it done, there are some things we can just do ourselves, or with friends and neighbors, to make a difference. These projects are called tactical urbanism or Do-It-Yourself (DIY) fixes – also known as “just effing do it” or #JFDI. Beyond cities and urban areas, the DIY concept applies in suburban towns and rural areas, too. You should know that sometimes local government might get upset if you do something in a public space without a permit and forms in triplicate, but in my experience smart little projects with community support fly under the radar or get quietly accepted. Sometimes the #JFDI projects even embarrass a government department or laggard agency into finally taking action themselves. Read more
