The Role of Tactical Urbanism in Municipal Planning: a Case Study of the City of Gothenburg 2010-2025

Abstract

Social and spatial transformations are reshaping cities and our ways of life, creating new demands for the planning of public urban spaces. Tactical urbanism, popularized since the 2010’s as a response to conventional top-down approaches to urban development, is characterized by short-term, low cost, flexible and scalable urban interventions, often involving participatory elements. In recent years, the practice has been increasingly adopted by municipalities to active public space, test new solutions, and involve citizens in urban development processes. Despite this growing institutionalization, there remains limited knowledge of how tactical urbanism is shaped by the municipal settings in which it operates. The study examines the role of tactical urbanism in municipal planning in Gothenburg from 2010 to 2025. Using a qualitative case study design based on document analysis and semi structured interviews, the study maps municipal tactical urbanism in Gothenburg during the period, identifying interventions, institutional settings, patterns and development over time. In addition, two embedded cases explore the potentials and challenges of municipal tactical urbanism. The findings identify two main categories of interventions in Gothenburg, interventions redistributing car-space and place-activating interventions, suggesting that municipal tactical urbanism in Gothenburg is not uniform practice but operate across multiple spatial and temporal scales with varying purposes, transformative ambitions and levels of public involvement. Findings further reveal a shift form fragmented experimental interventions toward a more integrated and strategically embedded component of municipal planning. Suggested potentials include the ability to rapidly and flexibly test spatial functions and participatory forms, generate transferable knowledge, mobilize local engagement, and promote cross-sectoral collaboration. Identified challenges include dependency on local capacity and engagement as well as the management of conflicting interests. Further, municipal tactical urbanism is conceptualized as a relational spatial practice, in which urban space is continuously produced through institutional, social and material relations. The findings suggest that municipal tactical urbanist functions as an experimental mode of governance, expanding roles of municipalities beyond traditional planning practices.