Adaptive governance, hybrid temporary urbanism, and outdoor spaces: Post-pandemic legacies in New York and Toronto

Abstract

This paper reflects on the development and evolution of hybrid forms of temporary urbanism, as well as the post-pandemic legacies of adaptive governance. Informed by 34 interviews with municipal, community, and business association leaders, it contributes to debates about emergency urbanism and the politics and governance of public health associated with the adaptation of streets and sidewalks in New York City and Toronto. We find that the initial, reactive adaptations of outdoor spaces occurred because of a hybrid form of adaptive governance, favoring both bottom-up and top-down collaborations between weakened governments and strong, established community organizations. In examining the legacy of such initiatives, we demonstrate that rapid, adaptive governance was not sustained. In conclusion, the paper examines how government agencies can better prepare for future crises. We suggest that the most important elements are not the specific plans for an inherently uncertain future, but rather the ability to mobilize diverse and flexible resources and, more importantly, to address lock-ins through a combination of agile strategies that display both strong and weak forms of governance. This, in turn, requires trust and a more devolved, place-based distribution of power in urban-making.

本文探讨了各种形式的临时城市化的发展和演变，以及适应性治理在疫情后的遗留影响。本文基于对市政、社区和商业协会领导人进行的 34 次访谈，围绕纽约和多伦多两市在街道与人行道改造过程中涉及的应急城市治理，以及相关公共卫生的政治与治理议题，为相关讨论提供了新的视角。我们发现，户外空间最初的被动适应性改造之所以能够实施，源于一种混合式的适应性治理形式。这种治理形式有利于能力弱化的政府与强大的、根基稳固的社区组织之间，形成自下而上与自上而下相结合的协作关系。在审视此类举措的遗留影响时，我们发现快速、适应性强的治理并未得以持续。总之，本文探讨了政府机构如何更好地为未来的危机做准备。我们认为，最重要的要素并非针对本质上不确定的未来所制定的具体计划，而是调动多元灵活资源的能力，更重要的是，通过结合展现出强治理与弱治理两种形态的敏捷策略，来解决路径依赖问题。反过来，这需要在城市塑造过程中建立信任，并实施权力更分散的、贴合地方的权力分配机制。