Business owners say the ban could force patrons onto sidewalks and disrupt long-standing bar culture, while proponents of the ordinance say second-hand smoke is a threat to patrons and workers.
San Francisco county supervisors are weighing a proposal that would ban smoking on bar patios and in parklets, potentially closing a decades-old exception that allows smoking in outdoor bar spaces and semi-enclosed patios.
According to a report by Nina Singh-Hudson in Hoodline, "Bar owners argue the move would simply push smokers onto the sidewalks and pile on yet another pressure point for venues still clawing back from the pandemic."
The proposed measure, File No. 260361, would ban smoking on bar and tavern patios. Research shows that outdoor patios can still pose an unhealthy level of danger for people exposed to second-hand smoke, including bar employees.
The city's Small Business Commission voted 6-0 in opposition of the proposal, "warning that the ordinance could drive smokers onto sidewalks, inflame neighborhood disputes and place extra strain on nightlife venues, according to the commission’s response letter."
The ordinance would have to be approved by the city's Land Use and Transportation Committee before heading to the full Board for votes.
FULL STORY: Smoky Showdown: San Francisco Bars Face Crackdown On Patio Puffing
San Francisco leaders shelve proposed patio smoking ban
Facing backlash from business owners, supervisors postponed a discussion of legislation that would bar smoking from restaurant and bar patios.
SoCal City Bans Smoking on Multifamily Properties
The law prohibits smoking tobacco or cannabis in both indoor and outdoor spaces, prompting backlash from residents.
San Francisco Supervisors Vote to Keep Parklets, Close Them at Night
The pandemic-era outdoor seating arrangements can stay, but a last-minute amendment lets business owners close them overnight.
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US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
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Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association