Outdoor Dining
Proposed Outdoor Dining Ordinance Could Decimate L.A.’s ‘Al Fresco’ Dining
Restaurant owners say the new regulations proposed by the city for installing and maintaining outdoor dining areas would put them out of reach for many businesses.
Seattle Historic District Could Remove Street Dining
Despite the popularity of Ballard Avenue’s outdoor dining pergolas, some district board members argue the patios don’t match the district’s historic character.
Bike Lanes Are Good for Business. Why Don’t Business Owners Believe It?
Proposed bike lanes often come up against opposition from local merchants who believe losing street parking will hurt their business, but research repeatedly shows the opposite effect.
New Philadelphia Outdoor Dining Laws Exclude Most Restaurants
Restaurant owners argue that new requirements for the city’s permanent outdoor dining program are practically impossible for most of them to meet.
Where Car-Free Streets Won Out
While some open streets experiments have met with backlash from community members, others were so successful they led to permanent changes.
Outdoor Dining Parklets No Longer Cheap and Easy
Cities in Santa Cruz County, California are making outdoor dining laws permanent, and some businesses are getting sticker shock at the extra cost of maintaining the pandemic-era expansion of al fresco dining.
Open Streets and Outdoor Dining Are Best for Business, Report Says
Most business owners believe that they'd be out of business without on-street parking near their front door. The experience of New York City during the pandemic proves otherwise.
Who Should Manage New York’s Outdoor Dining Program?
A proposal to shift responsibility away from the Department of Transportation has met staunch resistance from industry groups and advocates of the program.
Opinion: Support Citizen-Led Public Space Projects
A public space advocate outlines how Philadelphia’s city leaders could support the parklets, plazas, and other public space conversions that proliferated during the pandemic.
Americans Have Fallen in Love With Outdoor Dining
Started as a response to pandemic restrictions, al fresco dining has taken off as customers, restaurant owners, and city officials realize the social and economic benefits of outdoor dining spaces.
New York's Outdoor Dining Program Stays Controversial, Likely to Evolve
New York City's Open Restaurants Program, while here to stay, is going to see substantial changes, requiring new permits, as soon as next year.
Portland Extends Pandemic Public Space Programs
PBOT will continue two highly successful COVID-era programs that allowed businesses and community groups to repurpose public spaces for pedestrian-oriented uses and engage with customers in safe, accessible outdoor settings.
Opinion: Repurpose Parking for Bike Lanes and Outdoor Seating
With car parking banned from two blocks of Chicago's Milwaukee Avenue on weekend nights, the city could take the opportunity to permanently adapt the space for other uses.
Santa Barbara May Scale Down Outdoor Dining Areas
The city will consider adjustments to its outdoor dining policy after the fire department expressed concerns about access for emergency vehicles.
Outdoor Dining: Too Popular to Abandon
Some cities that took the almost unprecedented step to loosen restrictions on outdoor dining in the early days of the pandemic are deciding to make their new outdoor dining rules permanent.
Miami Beach to Reopen Ocean Drive to Cars
The famous cruising strip was off-limits to cars during the pandemic. Now, the city is letting vehicles return with some pedestrian-oriented compromises.
How the Pandemic Is Reshaping Cities
The social and economic upheaval of the last two years accelerated a shift in thinking about how we use public space and organize the urban realm.
How New York City's Appearance Changed Under de Blasio
The former mayor's administration oversaw several major changes in the city's skyline, streets, and public spaces.
Opinion: Keep Outdoor Dining Without Thwarting Creativity
While New York City's effort to make its outdoor dining program permanent is a welcome reimagining of public space, some worry that regulations will reduce design diversity and increase costs for small restauranteurs.
San Diego Approves Permanent Outdoor Dining
The city's new regulations pave the way for making the pandemic experiment a permanent fixture.
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.
Caltrans
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland
