Happy, Healthy 'Temporary' Cities

This paper analyses the possible contribution of temporary urban uses of space to the broader urban health agenda. Through a progressively critical lens, it highlights the potential of temporary use to address the multifarious implications of the presence of vacant and derelict land on health and living environment (including direct connections to income, education, housing and crime). Analysing 15 projects in two cities, the paper discusses the significance of healthy temporary development compared to ordinary, standarised variations of the phenomenon. In doing so, two types of temporary use strategies are explored: purposeful promotion via policy vs. solutions with organic roots. Ultimately, I conclude by highlighting that despite the strategy, the reality of realising happy, healthy 'temporary' projects is much reduced owing to a variety of sophisticated barriers that were largely the same in both cities.