Serving California's cities — exclusively public-sector work
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Safer streets, tested in real life —
before a single curb is poured.

Tactical urbanism is a fast, low-cost way to try a street-safety idea right on the pavement — with paint, planters, and cones. A community gets to see it, walk it, and feel it. We measure what actually changes. And only the ideas that prove themselves move on to permanent construction.

Bring this to your city
The Idea

Big change can start with a bucket of paint.

You don't have to spend a year and a million dollars to find out whether a crossing will feel safer. Tactical urbanism uses temporary, low-cost materials to build a real, working version of the idea in a weekend — so residents experience it firsthand and decision-makers get real-world performance data.

If it works, the data helps the city fund and build it for good. If it needs tweaking, we adjust it on the spot. Either way, the community is part of the design — not just told about it after.

What we test on the street:

  • Thematic, high-visibility crosswalks kids actually notice
  • Curb extensions & bulb-outs that shorten the crossing
  • Delineators & planters that narrow lanes and calm traffic
  • Botts' dots and hardened centerlines that slow turns
  • Zig-zag approach markings & in-street "yield to pedestrians" signs
  • Speed cushions and traffic calming near schools
Aerial view of a colorful crayon-themed crosswalk painted across a Selma intersection
A school crossing reimagined overnight — paint, color, and a clear message to slow down. (Selma Safe Streets)
How It Works

From a community's worry to a street that works.

Every pilot follows the same honest path — listen first, let the data confirm it, test it in the open, and let the results decide what becomes permanent.

We Listen

Workshops, pop-up events, and bilingual surveys let residents tell us which streets and crossings feel unsafe.

We Check the Data

Crash history and vehicle-speed counts confirm the patterns — so we target the spots where the need is real and measurable.

We Pick the Spot

Where community concern and the safety data overlap, we've found a high-impact place to test.

We Install the Pilot

Using temporary, low-cost materials, we build a real, working demonstration — often with students and neighbors helping paint it.

We Measure & Listen Again

Before-and-after speed data, field observations, and resident surveys show exactly what changed — and what to refine.

We Build It to Last

The treatments that prove themselves become the blueprint for permanent improvements — and the evidence to help fund them.

Featured Project

City of Selma — Safe Streets Study

Selma asked a simple question: how do we make it safer for kids to walk and bike to school? We answered it the tactical-urbanism way — testing four real crossings near schools, measuring everything, and letting the whole community take part.

0 crashes analyzed to find the real danger spots
0 residents who helped shape the plan
0 school crossings tested and improved
0 more drivers slowed to safe speeds
The Results

The paint did more than look good. It slowed cars down.

At Thompson Avenue by Selma High School, we counted vehicle speeds for four days before the pilot and four days after. The shift toward safer speeds was immediate and measurable.

Drivers traveling at safe speeds (35 mph or below)

Before37%
After53%

More kids crossing in front of cars moving at survivable speeds.

Drivers traveling at deadly speeds (45 mph and up)

Before13%
After6%

The speeds most likely to kill a pedestrian — cut by more than half.

On the Ground

What it looks like when a city tries something better.

Real streets in Selma — designed with the community, painted with the community, and measured for the community.

Why It Matters

We let a community feel the future before paying for it.

A plan on paper asks people to imagine. A pilot lets them experience it — the shorter crossing, the slower cars, the street that suddenly feels like it belongs to the kids walking home. That's how trust gets built, and how good projects get the support they need to become permanent.

It's safer streets and stronger communities, proven one block at a time.

“Test it in a weekend. Prove it with data. Build it for a generation.”
What We Handle

A complete tactical urbanism program, start to finish.

From the first community survey to the final permanent design, your city has one accountable partner for every piece of the work.

Crash & Speed AnalysisWe dig into the data to pinpoint where the danger really is.
Community EngagementBilingual surveys, workshops, and pop-ups that reach everyone.
Concepts & Design ExhibitsClear, buildable layouts that show what each pilot will do.
Temporary Traffic ControlDetour and safety plans so installation day goes smoothly.
Materials & InstallationWe coordinate and run the paint days, down to the last stencil.
Before/After EvaluationSpeed counts, field observations, and surveys that prove impact.
Permanent DesignTurning the winning treatments into lasting infrastructure.
Funding & Grant RoadmapUsing the results to help win the dollars that build it for good.
Let's Begin

Have a street that needs to be safer?

Tell us about the crossing, the corridor, or the school route that keeps you up at night. We'll help you test a fix your community can see and feel — and prove it works before you build it.

Start a safe streets conversation

We typically respond within one business day.