Chalk Planning - a participatory method to draw the future city

Sidewalk chalk planning is a visualization tool for participatory planning engaging communities to envision their plans of the urban landscape in scale 1:1 by drawing them directly on the street. Drawing plans, making notes and wishes, engaging the passers by to add comments and hand out chalk, the process grows over time and everyday commuters can discuss their streets together with the inhabitants and eventually look for ways to realize what they think is needed for their surrounding.

As part of the process, as plans are made directly on the sidewalk, there is initiated talks about the project area, with invited planners and city officials, and the community can join and contribute to the discussion and "chalking" their ideas of the sidewalk plans, making plan-drawing an action outside the offices and maps.

By using chalk, simultaneously the tool for pedagogical and abstract visualisation, as well as a cheap everyday school material, the city planning office is moved to the street in a very hands-on way. But instead of seeing maps and plans as something abstract and projected from above, it is now directly on the street. With the help of planning and architecture students, plans are made visible and readable by the people in the street, and made manifest and discussable - open for comments and adjustments.

The first chalk planning event took place at the Sidewalk Model festival (Art in Odd Places), along 14th street, New York, in May 2012