DIY Urbanists Take Streets Back as Cities Lag on Safety Projects
Fed-up residents are painting crosswalks, building bus stop benches, and taping down bike lanes, demonstrating the low cost and speed of basic street safety improvements.
Frustrated by slow-moving government processes and persistent safety concerns, a growing movement of residents is taking urban improvement into their own hands, undertaking DIY projects like painting crosswalks, installing benches, and creating bike lanes. These so-called "guerrilla urbanists" aim to highlight how simple, low-cost solutions can make cities safer and more livable, often in the face of bureaucratic delays.
Jonathan Hale, a law student and viral road safety advocate, found himself in legal trouble for painting his own crosswalks in Los Angeles. He approached Mayor Karen Bass, proposing to cease his activism if the city committed to improving street safety. While assurances were given, prolonged unresponsiveness led Hale to resume his efforts, expressing frustration with institutional inertia. "We’re so focused on looking for reasons why we can’t do stuff instead of ways that we can," Hale stated, "and it’s just paralyzed our institutions."
Similar initiatives are emerging nationwide. In Boston, cyclists used duct tape to create a bike lane at an intersection where a fatal accident occurred. In Nashville, Kansas City, and the Bay Area, volunteers have built and installed benches at bus stops that had been stripped of seating, often in response to perceived "hostile architecture." These actions underscore the ease and affordability of implementing basic civic improvements, suggesting that city inaction may stem more from a sluggish status quo than a lack of funds.
Anthony Garcia, an urban planner and proponent of tactical urbanism, notes that such projects often face unnecessary delays and inflated costs due to fear of litigation and cumbersome regulations. "You don’t have to hold a crosswalk to the same standard that you hold a bridge," Garcia commented, highlighting the disproportionate bureaucracy involved in simple repairs and installations.
The Case for Citizen Intervention
While official regulations and proper signage contribute to project timelines, the delays often far exceed practical necessity. Los Angeles, for instance, has seen road safety projects take years and incur significant costs. In one tragic case, after a child was killed at a dangerous intersection, a local group painted a crosswalk. The city eventually replaced it with an official one but only after months had passed and the DIY intervention had drawn attention.
These citizen-led efforts, while often acts of protest, empower residents to reclaim agency over their urban environments. Carter Lavin, co-founder of the TransBay Coalition, described the satisfaction of building benches, noting that each screw and sanded board directly improves the lives of neighbors.
Navigating City Hall
Despite the DIY spirit, advocates generally prefer collaboration with city governments. In Rochester, New York, the transit advocacy group Reconnect Rochester has successfully partnered with the city to install permitted "bus stop cubes." However, obtaining permits can be a hurdle. In Nashville, one group faces a requirement to pay thousands in liability insurance for benches that cost only $35 to build, an expense that makes official approval prohibitive.
Critics argue that cities' focus on liability for new infrastructure is misplaced when considering the greater