Could New York City follow in the footsteps of...Vilnius?

After the Lithuanian capital city of Vilnius announced a plan to open 18 public open spaces in the historic core to al fresco dining and cafe uses, the idea has traction among prominent media outlets in New York City.
Tanay Warerkar writes for Eater New York to report that city officials are actually already pondering the idea, inspired not by Vilnius, but by the city's plan to open 100 miles of city streets to pedestrian and bike priority.
The possibility of moving restaurant seating to the streets was a question raised by a WNBC reporter at the Mayor’s press conference on Monday, an idea that de Blasio called “interesting.” The administration has “thought about it” and “begun discussions,” he said, though he added that it’s too early to unveil any plans. He went on to say that “there could be advantages to having more of it [restaurant seating] be outdoors.”
Writing for Slate, Henry Grabar expands the Vilnius model for consideration far beyond New York City, finding examples of cities already making new space for outdoor dining in space once reserved for cars. For instance:
In Brookhaven, a suburb of Atlanta, Mayor John Ernst has given restaurants permission to turn their parking into restaurant space. “For the next 90 days, Brookhaven will embrace alfresco dining,” he said.
Grabar's article concludes with the recommendation for choosing restaurants over cars in the wake of the pandemic—another version of the many choices facing U.S. communities as the the process of reopening the economy and daily lives threatens to significantly impact the patterns of daily life to the detriment of the environment and social and economic equity.
FULL STORY: NYC’s Restaurant Reopening Could Include Outdoor Seating On Closed Streets

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie