Proposed rules to enforce wider paths on Toronto city sidewalks for pedestrians and the disabled is creating angst in local operators of sidewalk cafes.
New regulations proposed by Toronto's Disability Access and Inclusion Advisory Committee would create a wider 'clearway' on local sidewalks, leaving some operators of sidewalk cafes fuming. Michael Smee of the CBC reports that the proposed rules would require the city to enforce a 2.1 meter (approx. 6.9 feet) clearway on main street and a smaller clearway on secondary streets. Smee writes that although the 2.1 meter clearway requirement is an existing regulation, some restaurateurs have failed to follow the law, and in general it hasn't been enforced.
...if bar or restaurant owners are forced to move their patio fences back from the roadway under the new rules, measures are being researched that could allow them to expand in other ways to make up for the lost square footage, the committee heard.
For instance, one of the new measures would allow patios to spread to the left or right, in front of neighbouring storefronts, provided those business owners agree.
Other suggestions to make up for the lost square footage include allowing cafe's to expand into adjacent parking spaces.
FULL STORY: New plan proposes pushing patios back to make room for pedestrians, people with disabilities
Chicago Budget Fails to Include Snow Plowing Program
Disability rights advocates say the “Plow the Sidewalks” program is a necessity for Chicagoans with limited mobility in winter months.
A Pedestrian-Forward Vision for Toronto Roadway
Toronto’s iconic Yonge Street is heavily used by pedestrians, and, according to this article, it's time for a revamp that acknowledges all of the street's users.
Editorial: Toronto’s Snow Clearing Plan Isn’t Fair
The city’s plan for dealing with snow and ice on sidewalks this winter doesn't address past problems and won't meet the needs of residents, say critics.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.
BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule
The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.
Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path
Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service