Urban Folies: Tactical Urbanism for More Livable Streets

Urban Folies is Dédale’s tactical urbanism programme dedicated to the transformation of streets and public spaces through modular parklets installed on former parking spaces.

Designed as temporary and reversible interventions, Urban Folies reclaims road space traditionally dedicated to cars and converts it into places for

social interaction, rest, play, culture, biodiversity and neighbourhood life. Installed directly on parking lanes, the structures create micro-public spaces that allow cities and communities to experiment with new uses of the street before implementing permanent transformations.

Developed in the context of street redesign, traffic calming and pedestrianisation strategies, Urban Folies supports the transition towards more liveable, inclusive and climate-resilient cities. By testing alternative uses of public space, the programme helps decision-makers, residents and local stakeholders collectively imagine the future of urban streets.

First deployed in Paris between 2018 and 2020, Urban Folies was tested in five Parisian districts through a series of pilot parklets developed in partnership with the City of Paris. The experimentation generated a comprehensive set of observations, recommendations and practical guidelines for the large-scale deployment of parklets and tactical urbanism interventions.

Combining tactical urbanism, placemaking, community engagement and real-life experimentation, Urban Folies contributes to the emergence of

healthier and more human-centred public spaces aligned with the values of the New European Bauhaus.