Restaurants
NYC Outdoor Dining Could Get a Re-Do
The city council is considering making the al fresco dining program year-round to address cost concerns from small businesses.
DC Extends Application Window for Outdoor Dining Permits
District restaurants will have until the end of November to apply, but businesses with permits in rush hour parking lanes must end operations on July 31.
NYC Outdoor Dining Won’t Include Booze — For Now
Hundreds of restaurants will be unable to serve alcohol in their outdoor dining areas this summer due to a delay in permitting.
NYC Approves Only 40 of Over 1,300 of Outdoor Dining Applications
Restaurant owners say they’ve been in limbo for months as city departments point fingers at each other for delays in permit approvals.
States Look to Eliminate Happy Hour Bans to Lure People Downtown
More than 20 states have laws banning or limiting happy hours at bars and restaurants. Now, some are revisiting these regulations in an effort to boost commerce in struggling downtown districts.
The Resurgence of Drive-Throughs
Dining areas in many fast food restaurants are being replaced with added drive-thru lanes, another post-pandemic impact on our lives benefiting those with four wheels (or more).
Santa Barbara Renews Parklet Program
The city updated its pandemic-era on-street dining program with new regulations that limit the locations and design of parklets.
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.
Houston’s Restaurant Resurgence Points to Economic Recovery
The city’s restaurants are bouncing back faster than other industries, providing a key source of jobs.
How the Restaurant Scene Became a Symbol of Gentrification
While redevelopment-related displacement is the result of broader market forces and policy decisions, restaurants and cafes have become an emotionally charged flashpoint for the debate over gentrification.
Faster Food
Responding to pandemic-era shifts in customer demand, fast food and fast-casual chains are stripping away dining rooms, restrooms, and human cashiers in favor of drive-through and automated pickup options.
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.
Arlington County to Explore Permanent Outdoor Dining Options
As emergency ordinances passed during the pandemic are set to expire, county officials will consider making some pandemic dining accommodations permanent.
Mandating and Verifying Vaccinations
President Joe Biden might consider observing the actions of his French counterpart to learn of successful strategies to deal with the COVID-19 vaccine-hesitant and resistant population.
Pandemic Street to Outlast Pandemic in California (By 2.5 Months)
Gov. Newsom's unexpected announcement that the pandemic would end on June 15 led one city to consider reopening its al fresco street and parklets to motor vehicles. After hearing from the public, the city council sided with diners over drivers.
Pandemic Watch: We've Been Here Before (but at Lower Case Levels)
The White House COVID-19 Response Team explains why governors are wrong to lift mask mandates and ease restrictions by putting the current level of coronavirus infections in the country in perspective, i.e., comparing it to the two prior surges.
Cities Regulate Delivery App Fees to Support Ailing Restaurants
High platform fees for food delivery apps have put struggling restaurants between a rock and a hard place.
California Judge Berates L.A. County Public Health Department in Outdoor Dining Ruling
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge was critical of county public health officials for banning outdoor dining to slow the spread of the coronavirus without providing scientific evidence that the order would reduce infections.
New Car Owners, Fewer Parking Spaces—Chickens Come to Roost in New York City
Many cities like New York have reallocated space formerly reserved for moving and storing cars to help restaurants and stores weather the pandemic, but as more residents rely on cars for the same reason, the dynamic threatens to boil over.
Friday Fun: Top 25 Destinations for Foodies
Readers of Travel + Leisure voted for their the top food destinations. Keep this list in mind for when we can travel more freely.
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
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Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
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NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
