ABSTRACT
Temporary land uses have always been tolerated by urban planning, but it is only very recently that they have come to be seen as important to cities’ economic vitality and future growth. Creativity and innovation have, similarly, always been defining characteristics of urban economies, but the conscious objective of urban planning to attract, stimulate and support particular creative actors is relatively new. Analysis of the newly emerged theoretical, empirical, and planning policy studies of ‘temporary uses’ of derelict urban spaces in European cities illustrates three distinct realms where the concept of ‘creativity’ has been defined and applied to temporary and tactical urban management and development approaches: in terms of creative production, consumption of creativity, and creative governance. These concepts are argued here to mesh with a liberalisation of urban planning and governance. Creative planning for temporary use suggests not just reducing the regulation of urban activity and built form, but transforming the aims and methods of planning itself to be more dynamic and more facilitative and to involve continual engagement with a wide range of creative actors. In this context, the focus of planning shifts away from permanent built outcomes and toward social activity. This chapter highlights the various creative actors who are engaged with temporary and tactical urbanism, what particular interests and abilities they bring, and how they interact with each other within the urban development process.
