Washington tries 'temporary urbanism'

The "Temporarium," in a former public library at 13th and H Streets, NE, is the Washinton, DC, municipal government's response to the challenges facing retailers in a city where business space is often extraordinarily expensive. From July 23 to August 15, the DC Office of Planning is making the disused library available to a dozen designers and artists, who can use it as a store. The city is providing a $20,000 grant to operate and spruce up the space, while the designers and artists reciprocate by contributing about 10 percent of their earnings.

"We want to activate vacant spaces and create lively neighborhood corridors throughout the city that would support creative entrepreneurs and highlight retail potential in emerging areas such as H Street," said Tanya Washington, chief of staff at the Office of Planning, in a July 12 Washington Post article available here. 

The hope is that the "temporary urbanism" initiative will stimulate economic development in areas with many vacancies and a scarcity of retail offerings.