🏙️ The Art of the Possible: Tactical Urbanism and the CRE Developer’s Secret Weapon

In my real estate development class this semester, we dove headfirst into one of my favorite topics — tactical urbanism. And let me tell you, it’s not just a buzzword tossed around by planners trying to sound edgy at conferences. It’s a genuine movement that’s reshaping how communities (and the developers who love them) are rethinking economic development, one parking lot, pop-up park, and painted crosswalk at a time.

We even had a guest speaker from a local suburban community come in to talk about tactical urbanism and economic development. The discussion got my students thinking: What happens when small, temporary, low-cost interventions actually move the needle faster than a 200-page master plan gathering dust on a shelf?

🎯 What Exactly Is Tactical Urbanism?

At its core, tactical urbanism is the art of doing something small, quick, and cheap to prove a big idea works. It’s the “minimum viable product” of city-building — think of it as the pop-up retail version of urban planning.

It’s those pilot projects, temporary installations, street closures, and public space experiments that let communities test bold ideas before making permanent, multimillion-dollar investments. You could say it’s Silicon Valley meets Main Street USA.

Or as I like to tell my students: If you’re afraid of breaking things, you’ll never build anything worth talking about.

Even Silicon Valley builds things so they can break them — and that’s exactly what communities need to do at times. Test, learn, tweak, repeat.

🧩 Planning Meets Place-Making

Tactical urbanism is where economic development, place-making, and planning all shake hands.

Planners and developers start with a comprehensive plan, which sets the land-use vision and policy direction. Then you need zoning codes — the rules that (hopefully) make that vision possible. But here’s the rub: many existing zoning codes were written when Elvis was still in high school.

So when you try to implement a new form-based code or overlay district that supports walkability, mixed-use, and infill projects — you inevitably hit the friction of “old meets new.” That’s where tactical urbanism steps in. It lets you test what’s possible without rewriting the whole playbook.

You can turn an underperforming parking lot into a pop-up plaza or food truck court. You can convert a dead retail corner into an outdoor beer garden. You can do something today — not five years from now — to show what change looks like.

💡 The Developers Who Dared to Try

Not all developers are built the same. Some are what I call “risk-oblivious visionaries” — folks with enough money and courage (or maybe just caffeine) to prove what’s possible.

Take Dan Gilbert in Detroit and Cleveland with his Bedrock group. He didn’t just buy buildings; he reimagined entire blocks through pop-up retail, flexible use spaces, and small-scale pilot projects that brought people back downtown.

Or the Walton family in Northwest Arkansas. Their investments in downtown Bentonville and the Razorback Greenway didn’t just create parks — they built a regional identity that now attracts businesses, restaurants, and entire communities.

Then there’s the DeBoer Brothers in Chattanooga. They leaned into tactical projects to transform a sleepy industrial downtown into a magnet for tech, culture, and commerce. I toured the West Village two weeks ago and was blown away.

Each of these developers embraced a simple truth: if you wait for perfect, you’ll wait forever.

🅿️ Parking Lots and Possibilities

You know those giant asphalt deserts behind the strip centers? Yeah, the ones where tumbleweeds outnumber shoppers? Those are tactical urbanism goldmines.

Many cities are rethinking how to use underperforming pavement. Temporary uses — farmers’ markets, art shows, container pop-ups, or even mini-soccer fields — can turn lifeless parking into vibrant community assets and new revenue streams.

It’s not about abandoning cars; it’s about reclaiming wasted space and giving people a reason to visit, linger, and spend.

🧠 Tactical Urbanism for Emerging Developers

So what does this mean for you, the next generation of commercial real estate developers?

It means learning to experiment small before you build big. You don’t need a billionaire’s bank account to start — you just need imagination, partnerships, and a willingness to collaborate with city planners and community stakeholders.

Try these tactics:

• Pilot before permanence: Test outdoor dining zones, shared parking, or creative pop-up retail before signing 10-year leases.
• Engage the community: Let locals co-create spaces — people support what they help build.
• Leverage policy flexibility: Many cities are updating codes to allow “temporary activation” permits. Use them!
• Tell the story: Document your experiment. If it works, you’ve got data — not just opinions — to support your next project.

🏁 The Mark Twain Reminder

Mark Twain once said, “When the end of the world comes, I want to be in Cincinnati. It’s always ten years behind the times.”

That’s a jab, sure — but it’s also a lesson. Too many communities (and developers) move at a snail’s pace, clinging to old rules and outdated codes. Tactical urbanism gives us a shortcut to see the future sooner.

The art of development isn’t just about what’s possible — it’s about proving the possible, one pilot project at a time.

👨🏫 Final Lesson from The CRE Professor:

Don’t be afraid to roll out some astroturf, hang some string lights, and move a few picnic tables. Sometimes, the path to a multimillion-dollar development starts with a $500 idea and a weekend permit.

After all, every “overnight success” started as a tactical experiment.

 About The CRE Professor

Shawn Massey wears two hats — one academic and one hard hat. By day, he’s a retail real estate advisor with TSCG, helping clients find the perfect corner for their next big idea. By night (and often in the same blazer), he’s an adjunct professor at The University of Memphis, where he teaches future dealmakers the fine art of real estate development and investment — minus the boring parts.

Shawn’s the rare breed who can explain a cap rate, quote Mark Twain, and make a zoning map sound like a plot twist. He holds a stack of designations that would make alphabet soup jealous: CCIM, ALC, CRRP, CLS, and SCLS — all proof that he’s as serious about commercial real estate as he is about coffee and corny real estate jokes.

When he’s not teaching, touring, or talking retail trends, you’ll probably find him mentoring young professionals, championing community development, or crafting his next blog post as “The CRE Professor.”

📞 Call: (901) 461-7070 📧 Email: shawn.massey@tscg.com