The first chapter of a forthcoming report form VibeLab, a nightlife consultancy firm, makes a variety of pertinent suggestions for facilitating al fresco events and safely regulating crowds in a new context.

The widespread closure of bars, venues, and clubs as a coronavirus risk reduction measure has left patrons, entertainment industry employees, nightlife business owners, and performers without safe ways to gather. Short of any industry-wide guidelines for reopening operations, nightlife consultancy VibeLab recently published the first chapter of a Global Nightlife Recovery Plan titled "Open-air Nightlife And COVID-19: Managing Outdoor Space & Sound."
"Future installments will focus on a host of pandemic-fueled problems, including finding financial supports for workers and owners of venues that can’t reopen and what the future of dance and live music clubs might look like. Its goal is not just to save a threatened part of cities’ cultural and economic life, but to make some longer-term improvements in relations between nightlife businesses and citizens, and how public spaces are managed and monitored," reports Feargus O'Sullivan.
There is no returning to indoor nightlife as we know it without a vaccine, says O'Sullivan. This first installment of VibeLab's recovery plan suggests that outdoor events are the way to move forward with large-scale entertainment. Better to have al fresco, regulated gatherings with safety practices than to allow unregulated indoor gatherings to arise out of necessity.
Outdoor events raise concerns about noise regulation, among other headaches. "When urban nightlife — in all its noisy, unruly glory — migrates out of the windowless buildings that once contained it, new problems emerge," reminds O'Sullivan. "The presence of police officers at public gatherings can escalate rather than diffuse tension." The VibeLab report excerpt suggests the consideration of alternative forms of party police, pointing to alternative forms of law enforcement like Amsterdam's Square Hosts who keep the peace in bustling nightlife areas.
VibeLab's full report is forthcoming and is expected to be released in September.
FULL STORY: The Nightlife Rescue Plan That Could Save Your City’s Scene

Planning for Congestion Relief
The third and final installment of Planetizen's examination of the role of the planning profession in both perpetuating and solving traffic congestion.

Minneapolis Housing Plan a Success—Not for the Reason You Think
Housing advocates praise the city’s move to eliminate single-family zoning by legalizing triplexes on single-family lots, but that isn’t why housing construction is growing.

New White House Housing Initiative Includes Zoning Reform Incentives
The Biden administration this morning released a new program of actions intended to spur housing construction around the United States.

Proposed Transit Line Would Connect Downtown Tucson to Airport
Based on community input for a 15-mile transit line, residents want to see a focus on affordable housing development and anti-displacement measures.

Strip Malls as a Housing Solution
The American strip mall may be a dying breed of commercial development, but could the buildings serve a new use as sustainable housing?

Study: Most of Vancouver Is a ‘15-Minute City’
A large majority of Vancouver residents can access a grocery store in 15 minutes or less by bicycle or on foot.
Urban Planning Partners
Sandy City
Ada County Highway District
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Redwood City
City of Rohnert Park
City of Hot Springs
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.