New York Outdoor Dining, Open Streets Programs Now Permanent

New York City will now be measurably less car-centric for the indefinite future.

2 minute read

September 27, 2020, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


New York City Open Streets

EQRoy / Shutterstock

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced late last week that the city of New York's Open Restaurants on Open Streets program, enacted as a lifeline for restaurants struggling to make ends meet during the COVID-19 pandemic, will be expanded and continued permanently.

Mayor de Blasio announced the city's new approach to restaurant regulations during an interview on Brian Lehrer's WNYC show, but the local urbanism news industry was quick to amplify the announcement.

Luke Fortney and Erika Adams report for Eater New York, explaining the details of the program as it will work in the future.

Under the new rules, restaurants will be allowed to keep sidewalk and curbside dining going indefinitely. The city’s Open Streets program, which designated dozens of city blocks to shut down to car traffic for dining in the street over the summer, will also be made a permanent fixture. "This will really help us as an important part of how we recover as a city," de Blasio said.

Restaurants will also be able to expand their frontage space to include seating in front of adjacent businesses if those landlords and tenants are open to it, the mayor said. He also stipulated that for restaurants that conduct outdoor dining in the winter, the space has to be kept “more open” to allow enough airflow. If the area is fully enclosed to better heat the space, those dining areas have to adhere to the same seating restrictions as indoor dining, which will start at 25 percent capacity next week.

According to Fortney and Adams, the permanent extension of the outdoor dining program comes as a result of protracted lobbying by restaurant owners. Despite the scheduled return of indoor dining in the city on September 30, many restaurant industry insiders consider outdoor dining essential for the survival of restaurant businesses through the winter.

The Open Streets component of this big reveal sparked the interest of Gersh Kuntzman at Streetsblog NYC, calling the mayor's announcement a long-overdue shift in priorities to people over cars. "It may turn out to be the single biggest conversion of public space since, well, since car drivers commandeered the curbside lane for free overnight vehicle storage in the 1950s," writes Kuntzman. 

Kuntzman also notes that some of the program, as announced, can be achieved by executive action and other components will require legislative action by the City Council. Kuntzman also collects notable political reactions to the news, including that of advocates for mobile vending, who raise alarms about the city's track record of pushing out mobile street vendors to make room for the new outdoor dining arrangements.

Friday, September 25, 2020 in Eater New York

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

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

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

View down center of street in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee Launches Vision Zero Plan

Seven years after the city signed its Complete Streets Policy, the city is doubling down on its efforts to eliminate traffic deaths.

6 seconds ago - Urban Milwaukee

Street with parking protected bike lane and parked cars in downtown Portland, Oregon.

Portland Raises Parking Fees to Pay for Street Maintenance

The city is struggling to bridge a massive budget gap at the Bureau of Transportation, which largely depleted its reserves during the Civd-19 pandemic.

July 8 - Willamette Week

Aerial view of Spokane, Washington with river in foreground.

Spokane Mayor Introduces Housing Reforms Package

Mayor Lisa Brown’s proposals include deferring or waiving some development fees to encourage more affordable housing development.

July 8 - The Spokesman-Review

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.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA