New Zealand first country to fund pop-up bicycle lanes, widened sidewalks during lockdown

New Zealand has become the first country to provide funding to make tactical urbanism into official government policy during the COVID-19 pandemic. The country had been trialing tactical urbanism sporadically before the pandemic, but now the national government believes the time is ripe to roll out the technique on an emergency-funded basis. Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter has invited cities in New Zealand to apply for 90% funding to widen sidewalks and carve out temporary cycleways, measures that can be put in place in hours and days rather than the weeks and months that it can often take to install such infrastructure. Extra space for people will enable key workers and others to maintain two meters of physical distance when walking or cycling.