Adinda Btari Ramadhani P

1906423201
Arsitektur KKI 2019

Activation and Adaptability in Temporary Urbanism for Underutilized

Sites and Approach of Creativity
Temporary urbanism has become one of the approaches to urban planning in recent years.
This method shows the magic of turning space within flexible almost uncertain period of time. As
the need for new land and new ideas for development, we start to look for method that respond
to the needs and is able to help explore the actors, including community of the area, that plays
the role to live up the city.

Bishop and William would define the temporary use as “an intentional phase” and in the
writing Liquid Times: Living in an Age of Uncertainty by Zygmunt Bauman, he claims to see the
world shifting from “solid’ to “liquid” phase of modernity. In the article Can Temporary Urbanism
be a Permanent Solution? Urban Spaces in Liquid Times, Megumi Koyama explained the differences
of solid and liquid modernity where solid modernity is based on control and regulation where change
was considered as a temporary measure and the aim is to find information to create a permanent
design that do not needing any further changes. On the other hand, liquid modernity, based on
Bauman’s claim, is where change no longer means temporary or another way to see it is that being
temporary and waiting for another change is the new permanent way of living. Although the society
has shifted to liquid modernity phase, in cities it seems that the urban thinking and strategies are still
aiming for permanent development and Bishop and Williams think that it is “unsuited to the pace of
modern urban change” (Bishop and Williams, 2012).

Another use of temporary urbanism is that it initiates to refresh the urban area and bringing
the city back to live. The term activation is used in the article New Direction in The Theorisation of
Temporary Urbanism to show how temporary projects seems to create events that are random, out
of the normal rhythm, and disrupting the everyday routine. This subtle and almost sudden changes
is what gives the energy and the livelihood of an urban area. As the idea of temporary urbanism often
focuses on neglected area, the activation transformation leads to an urban environment that become
operative or active again. Hence, the temporary character here is put upon and upbeat experimental
and creative practices to keep the urban growing. The activation occurs is made trough the
Adinda Btari Ramadhani P
1906423201
Arsitektur KKI 2019

collaboration of actors that are experimenting to find a new transformation. The innovation led by
the citizen gives the opportunity to develop a certain solution that can trigger the changes within the
urban area.

Adaptability is also one of the important aspects in temporary urbanism. In order to activate
the urban area, the design needs to be context-specific responses. The idea of adaptability here is
implied to both the actors to intervein the area and also the ability of the space to be modified. As
temporary urbanism merge with the everyday dynamic and rhythm of a space, it became the result
of initiatives driven by diverse people with different things and various configurations, therefore it
would directly influence how users would perceive the space and gradually could even change them
accordingly. In the article “The Seduction of Temporary Urbanism” by Mara Ferreri, it is mentioned
how the flexibility in temporary use was not only the change of space to the surrounding but also
involves the users and the makers. This flexibility occurs in times such as uncertain preparation,
delays of gaining access, finding resources, and many more. This indicate how the process of creating
temporary urban needs to be able to adapt to the people and surroundings in terms of making and
using the space. As the possibility range widely, various idea are able to be applied to the
transformation of site as long as the adaptability of it goes along the way,

In relation to creativity, temporary in urban planning is characterized by the combination of

formal and informal, or planned and un-planned. With it being so, we can see that, just like what
Andrea (2013) suggested how temporary practice can be both tactic and strategy. In the dissertation
“Temporarely Urbanism” by Elliot Kelly, he explained the difference of strategies and tactics where
“strategies are the actions…usually manifesting in structures of regulations…” while “tactics are not
confined to spatial borders… rather combine strategies and control… looking for opportunities to
thrive”. Referring to Andrea(2013), there are defensive and offensive interpretation that brings
temporary use further then strategy and tactic. Defensive interpretation refers to coping, space-
shaping strategies and tactics. Offensive interpretation have masterplanning take place that
incorporate temporary uses into development-led placemaking strategies.
Adinda Btari Ramadhani P
1906423201
Arsitektur KKI 2019

Reference:

1. Andres, L., & Kraftl, P. (2021). New Directions in the theorisation of temporary
urbanisms: Adaptability, activation and trajectory. Progress in Human Geography,
45(5), 1237–1253. https://doi.org/10.1177/0309132520985321
2. Kelly, E. (n.d.). Temporary Urbanism: To what extent is it contributing to a more
socially sustainable urban environment? (dissertation).
3. Ferreri, M. (2015). The seductions of temporary urbanism. Ephemera: Theory &
Politics in Organization.
4. Koyama, M. (2018, August 26). Can temporary urbanism be a permanent solution?
urban spaces in liquid times. Medium. Retrieved September 2, 2022, from
https://medium.com/@megukoyama/can-temporary-urbanism-be-a-permanent-
solution-urban-spaces-in-liquid-times-643d423ae4fc#a914