Al Fresco Streets

The Metrics of Outdoor Dining
Outdoor dining programs are proving popular in cities all over the United States, as a lifeline for both restaurants and residents seeking some social normalcy. Data from San Francisco reveal the numbers behind the phenomenon.

Outdoor Dining No Refuge From the Danger of Cars
A driver lost control of his SUV in San José, California this week, plowing into an outdoor dining area and killing one customer.

Strange Days: Outrage Absent as Businesses Reclaim Parking Spots
It took a pandemic, but the worldwide effort to move restaurant and retail businesses outside, at the expense of parking, is proving far less controversial than it would have before the coronavirus swept the globe.

Covid-19 Outdoor Dining Rules Could Last Through 2021 in Philadelphia
Emergency outdoor dining regulations approved in June and set to expired in December could now be extended through the coming year.

New York Outdoor Dining, Open Streets Programs Now Permanent
New York City will now be measurably less car-centric for the indefinite future.

Beyond Complete Streets: Could COVID-19 Help Transform Thoroughfares Into Places for People?
Key considerations for those with a vision to make change on city streets.

Pandemic Planning Must Reconcile With the Inequities of the Past
The ongoing debate about the role of marginalized communities in the emergency planning programs of the pandemic has now been detailed on the pages of the New York Times.

Liberating Cities from Cars
Examining models of progress toward restrictions on the use and storage of automobiles from urban areas around the world.

'Open Restaurants on Open Streets' Program Announced in NYC
The al fresco streets concept is coming to New York City.

Prioritizing Open Air Spaces in Pandemic Recovery Efforts
Businesses and public health officials are working together to develop guidelines to provide goods and services to the public safely. They're visioning creative ways to bring businesses outdoors and promoting al fresco spaces.

Zoning Code Reform for the Realities of COVID-19
Local governments have more tools than money to relieve some of the economic experience experienced by residents and businesses as the economic effects of the novel coronavirus linger just as long as the public health crisis it causes.

How Emergency Street Redesign Projects Fell Short of the Black Lives Matter Cause
A leading advocate for a new, equity centering approach explains how plans to redesign streets for the needs of the coronavirus pandemic left behind racial justice as a secondary concern.

The Growing Footprint of Al Fresco Streets
The al fresco streets movement, moving dining and retail space into the public realm in space historically devoted to automobiles, continues to gain momentum around the country.

NACTO Releases Pandemic Streets Design Guide
After three months of study and analysis, NACTO is providing authoritative guidance on new ways of thinking about rights of way now that the coronavirus has changed the way we live and work in cities.

Cities Are Suddenly a Little Less Car-Centric
(Opinion) After devoting more than a century of planning and engineering effort to the movement and storage of cars above all other considerations, U.S. cities have suddenly, temporarily shifted priorities.

Berkeley Could Redefine the Al Fresco Streets Movement
The city of Berkeley is pursuing an aggressive plan to open the streets for outdoor dining as an economic development tool for local commercial businesses.

How Zoning Reform Can Help Businesses Transition to Outdoor Operations
A trend toward allowing restaurants and retailers to expand operations to the public realm outside their brick and mortar confines is quickly gaining steam.

Minimum Parking Requirements Lifted to Support Outdoor Dining in Connecticut
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont included an historic measure in a May 10 executive order: statewide suspension of parking minimums to facilitate outdoor activities.

Reopening Main Street
A Long Beach-based urban design firm shares design tips for reopening main streets while balancing public health and economic concerns—making space for parklets, pedestrians, and al fresco dining.

Another City Opens Street Space for Restaurants—This Time in Suburban Chicago
Tampa, Brookhaven, Vilnius, Hinsdale. These cities will be the answer to a COVID-themed trivia night some time soon.
Pagination
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