Tensegrity systems are self stressed reticulate structures composed of a set of compressed struts assembled inside a continuum of tendons. This principle is at the origin of lightweight and transparent structures that can cover large spaces and be erected, in particular cases, by deployment. In this paper, we propose a general design and optimization procedure adapted to modular structures following this principle. An application is presented on the case of a curved deployable footbridge. Besides, as lightweight frames, these systems are subject to deformation and vibration issues when faced to varying actions such as climatic, human, or seismic loads. Active control is as solution that allows, using actuators integrated into the structure, to attenuate these effects. On the case of a real plane modular tensegrity grid, we present a specific methodology for the active damping of the first two modes and its experimental validation.