New York City Legalizes Outdoor Dining

Some restaurant owners worry the new requirements will make it too expensive to maintain outdoor dining structures.

1 minute read

August 7, 2023, 5:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Enclosed outdoor dining patio on New York City street set up during Covid-19 pandemic

Iuliia / Adobe Stock

Last Thursday, the New York City city council approved a bill permanently legalizing the outdoor dining structures that started dotting the city during the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to an article by Emma G. Fitzsimmons in The New York Times, “The bill aims to strike a balance by retaining a popular al fresco program while regulating it more closely, allowing for the clearing of abandoned or ugly dining sheds.” The bill also requires restaurants to take down the structures between November 30 and March 31, an addition that some restaurant owners say adds extra cost for dismantling and storage and reduces their ability to seat more customers during winter.

Under the bill, expected to be signed by Mayor Eric Adams, “the city’s Transportation Department would set basic design guidelines that have yet to be determined. Restaurants could offer outdoor dining from 10 a.m. until midnight and would be required to pay fees based on their location and square footage, with higher fees in Manhattan south of 125th Street.”

Supporters of the bill, like Kate Slevin, executive vice president at the Regional Plan Association, say the bill is “not 100 percent perfect” but provides a reasonable compromise. Others point out that the added expenses could exclude all but the most financially successful restaurants.

Thursday, August 3, 2023 in The New York Times

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

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Aerial view of heavily damaged mobile homes after a hurricane in Florida.

Florida Home Insurers Disproportionately Dropping Low-Income Households

Non-renewal rates are highest in inland counties, not the coastal areas most immediately vulnerable to storms.

15 minutes ago - Inside Climate News

"Altadena - Not For Sale" yard sign in front of burned down house after Eaton Fire in Altadena, California in January 2025.

Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations

Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.

July 7 - Dwell

Dense multistory residential buildings in hilly San Francisco, California.

Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean

Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?

July 7 - The San Francisco Standard

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