Outdoor Dining Debate Heats Up as New York City Opens Up

Writing for the New York Post, David Meyer and Kevin Sheehan report city data that tags the number of parking spaces transformed from car storage to outdoor dining in New York City at 8,550. That number of parking spots is the result of 11,500 restaurants making use of the outdoor dining program implemented as an emergency effort to help restaurants and other retail businesses stay open during the pandemic.

The testimonials from restaurant owners included in the article offer a mixed bag—alternatively glowing or critical. The debate about the longevity of New York City's outdoor programing has been going on for months, as lockdown spurred many New Yorkers to buy cars for the first time. (Controversy over the same issues has been conspicuously absent in many other U.S. cities.) In addition to the debate reported by Meyer and Sheehan, Erika Adams shared some of the debate that followed the New York Post report.

While the debate rages on, a coalition of nonprofit planning organizations in the city announced the first ever Alfresco Awards, which will announce winners in July, according to a paywalled article in the Wall Street Journal. The application portal for the awards opened on May 26.

The awards are kicking off the larger Alfresco NYC initiative, led by the Design Trust for Public Space, the Regional Plan Association (RPA), and the Tri-State Transportation Campaign. Alfresco NYC "aims to develop design guidelines around outdoor structures, ensure they are achievable for small businesses and communities hit hard by the pandemic across the five boroughs, and to support and celebrate the diverse culinary scene across our city," according to a May 26 press release.