Tactical interventions in public spaces in North America during a pandemic

The United Nations pointed out that cities and densely populated urban settlements are the epicentres of the COVID-19 pandemic, with about 95% of confirmed cases. Local governments must try to control the risk of virus transmission in public areas while minimising the social, economic, mental, and political consequences of prolonged restrictions on citizens’ lives. Many cities in North America have implemented strategies known as tactical interventions to promote physical distancing by changing people’s behaviour and/or improving surface infrastructure. This study investigated tactical interventions in public spaces implemented in 37 major cities in North America. The study identified 14 different tactical interventions in the cities and classified them by applying hierarchical and k-means cluster analyses based on three key criteria: street user demand, street capacity, and space efficiency. The resulting four clusters of tactical interventions can be interpreted as: (1) temporary lockdown, (2) street user behaviour improvement, (3) increasing capacity, and (4) enhancing economic opportunity. The study’s findings are expected to provide a general guide for decision makers wishing to select the most suitable tactical interventions for their urban centres during a similar health crisis.