| Abstract | Street experiments (SEs) are temporary urban interventions to explore new designs and uses of streets and public spaces. These trials prioritize pedestrians, cyclists, and public spaces over motorized traffic, and aim to create more inclusive and vibrant urban environments. While street experiments show promise, several questions remain. What defines a successful street experiment? How do these transformations affect different people, for instance people of different ages and abilities? Can these initiatives be effectively implemented in cities with diverse urban planning traditions, such as those in Europe and North America, or in the Global North and the Global South? These are crucial considerations when evaluating the potential of street experiments to drive systemic change in urban mobility and public space quality. Numerous studies have explored these questions, analyzing street experiments across different urban contexts to assess their applicability and effectiveness, and yet there are no final answers. Contributing to this burgeoning debate, this Special Issue on the subject features a diverse range of papers addressing the roles, processes, and impacts of SEs and tactical urbanism across varied geographic, social, and institutional contexts. From high-density Asian metropolises to intermediate Latin American cities and European tactical interventions, the contributions reflect a growing global interest in SEs as vehicles for both practical innovation and structural change. |
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