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On this episode of the Mechanics of Transportation, we talk with Dironna Moore Clarke, from the City of Richmond’s Office of Equitable Transit and Mobility, which is part of the Department of Public Works. She heads up projects that are dubbed Lighter, Quicker, Cheaper. But what is that?

Over the past year or more, her office has been installing temporary infrastructure projects known as lighter, quicker, cheaper. These can range from pop-up parks, to putting safety bollards to slow cars down as they try to turn right to putting up a roundabout.

It’s what’s known as tactical urbanism—which in other cities is also referred to as guerrilla urbanism, pop-up urbanism, or D.I.Y. urbanism. But, the far-off cousin of tactical urbanism stems from when citizens would take it upon themselves to say, install a stop sign or in the case of my neighbor, install a speed hump in our neighborhood.

So, what is Tactical Urbanism and lighter, quicker, cheaper all about? Let’s find out.

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Be sure to check out my other podcast, called History Reinvented, which is about the history and future of Mayo Bridge and Island in Richmond ,VA. And, I’m now on YouTube, at IanStewartCycles, where some of these conversations are also posted.

And, if you like music, check out Ian’s World O’ Music show on Mixcloud. For 17 years, I had a world music show on a local public radio station, where I also happened to report on transportation topics.

Plus, you can always look for my freelance work on outlets like Virginia Mercury, The Richmonder, Richmond Magazine and on the podcast Full Disclosure with Roben Farzad–where recently, I guest hosted an interview with 80s music icon Thomas Dolby.

History Reinvented is a Big Soap Production. I’m Ian Stewart, thanks for tagging along.

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