Philadelphia needs infrastructures for vibrant, resilient urban landscapes. By addressing “tears” in the urban fabric, the goal of our tactical urbanism proposal and subsequent parking day installation was to propose creating safe, equitable, and meaningful spaces through short term installations, reconnecting communities to their surroundings through placemaking. Through a language built by this experience in addition to our tradition of co-creation via community engagement exercises, FIFTEEN has developed a method which focuses on design outcomes that aren’t preconceived but emerge through discussions and visioning.

Our presentation will address different sites around the city, illustrating how a common language and process of philosophizing about the potential of a space while also engaging with people who live, work and play around the site of intervention can address various urban issues and lead to more sustainable design solution. Our vision transforms urban barriers into healthy connective tissue, putting design tools into the hands of communities and attempting to heal the city and prepare it for a sustainable future.