Abstract:

What if urban margins and forbidden strips were not obstacles, but reserves of possibility capable of reconnecting communities?

"Urban Buffers" is an operational guideline designed to answer this question. It transforms void-as-obstacle into void-as-resource through rapid, participatory processes and tactical urbanism. It is not a masterplan to impose, but an open tool for professionals and social activators that enables clear operational connections between skills and roles.

The methodology is organized into two main stages. First, the “strategic phase” uses spatial mapping, walkshops, and co-design to collectively define the intervention area and program (Images 1-5). Second, the “operational phase” unfolds in three progressive steps: it kickstarts appropriation with a tactical architectural device, scales up engagement through a major event, and maintains the results by establishing a permanent garrison for long-term redevelopment (Images 6-9). The outcome is a civic corridor capable of mending what the void had divided. Not a definitive solution, but a concrete first step toward more inclusive cities where margins cease to be fractures and become meeting places.

Tested in Nicosia, Europe’s last divided capital, within the UN buffer zone, the process aims to be a concrete first step toward more inclusive cities where margins cease to be fractures and become meeting places. The project was awarded an Honorable Mention in the "Tactical Urbanism Now 2025" competition.