Quick build projects are flexible, low-cost installations meant to advance long-term community goals for safer, more inviting public spaces.
Making the streets where people live, work, and play safer and more livable is an increasing concern for communities. People want streets that are safe to walk and bike along, offer places to meet people, link neighborhoods, and have a vibrant mix of uses to promote convenience and accessibility.
Traditional capital projects can be resource and time intensive, often resulting in delays. The quick build method lets cities and communities test and implement improvements on a faster timeline with less effort and at a lower cost.
Quick build interventions, also known as “tactical urbanism,” help demonstrate the positive impacts and potential of new ideas. These 'proof-of-concept' projects have been used across the country to gauge support from residents and the general public for a longer-term project or City policy.
They also send a message that change is possible by unleashing creativity to meet community desires and needs.
What can a quick build project do?
- Fill gaps in the walking or biking network before implementing a permanent capital improvement project
- Build support in communities for new or unfamiliar projects
- Provide data on project outcomes to help shape future policy and improve street design
- Increase collaboration between communities, internal departments, and other partners
- Allow experimentation with safety designs, project types, and materials prior to further investment
- Increase understanding of active transportation needs in the community
The City of Orlando has developed this guide to provide information on how, where, when, and why to implement quick build projects. By making it easier for the city to implement safety improvements and for communities to recommend changes to their streets, this guide supports the city’s commitment to Vision Zero and increasing choice and comfort for all people.
The quick build process allows community members and decision-makers to experience new and unfamiliar designs that might sound too confusing, too radical, or too disruptive to existing traffic patterns, before committing to making them permanent.
Quick build projects will address unique needs for each community based on its roadway and land use context, who lives and works in the area, and how people move around. Regardless of these existing factors, all quick build projects should fulfill at least one of the following goals:
- Increase safety by slowing speeds, calming traffic, or reducing conflicts between users at intersections. Make our streets safer for all users.
- Invite public use by increasing green or public space, adding plantings or landscaping, introducing public art, or providing seating or shade. Enhance community aesthetics and sense of place for a stronger local identity.
- Improve business by increasing local foot traffic, enabling biking and walking connections, or providing additional seating. Support a stronger local economy within our city.
- Improve travel options by increasing access to transit or providing new safe and comfortable walking and biking routes. Balance mobility and access to ensure convenient choices for everyone.
Each step in the quick build process should tie back to these goals, from selecting project type and location to choosing evaluation and outreach methods.
As you read on, consider the neighborhood where you live or work, or where you focus your efforts as a city employee. Think about which of these goals you’d like to accomplish, and how quick build could help you get there.
The following toolbox is intended to be used by City staff and community members to determine the most appropriate project to address local needs and quick build program goals.
The project types catalogued here are associated with program goals to help stakeholders quickly identify the most relevant design elements for their needs.
There may be many project types that address a safety need; the challenges and opportunities of local contexts should guide the ultimate selection of a design element and project implementation.
TILES