• Tactical Urbanism San Marcos plantings

    Code SMTX: Tactical Urbanism Intervention and Project Kickoff

    Improving Downtown — for Pennies on the Dollar
    Code SMTX in San Marcos, Texas may carry the distinction of all-time least expensive winner. The return on investment for the city and for community members has been significant. For one day in June 2014, the City of San Marcos and Dover, Kohl & Partners worked to re-envision downtown using so-...Read more

  • Columbia Pike

    A code transforms a commercial strip corridor
    First built over 200 years ago as a toll road connecting Washington, D.C. to greater Virginia, the Columbia Pike now serves as a direct route to the Pentagon and other capital landmarks. Until recently, this Arlington, Virginia thoroughfare was an aging commercial strip stifled by outdated single-...Read more

  • Mercado District

    A timeless place from the ground up
    The Mercado District, once leveled by urban renewal, is fast becoming one of Tucson’s most significant hubs. With it, the Mercado San Augistin—the district’s first commercial building—has flourished, bringing in top chefs and bartenders and specialty shops. Illustrative plan for Mercado District...Read more

  • SMTX Tactical Urbanism

    Improving downtown for pennies on the dollar
    For one day in June 2014, the City of San Marcos worked to re-envision downtown using "Tactical Urbanism." Workers converted two blocks of street from one-way to two-way traffic using temporary paint. An adjacent block was closed to create a farmer's market. Several "pop-up" parks were built in...Read more