Proposed rules to enforce wider paths on Toronto city sidewalks for pedestrians and the disabled is creating angst in local operators of sidewalk cafes.
New regulations proposed by Toronto's Disability Access and Inclusion Advisory Committee would create a wider 'clearway' on local sidewalks, leaving some operators of sidewalk cafes fuming. Michael Smee of the CBC reports that the proposed rules would require the city to enforce a 2.1 meter (approx. 6.9 feet) clearway on main street and a smaller clearway on secondary streets. Smee writes that although the 2.1 meter clearway requirement is an existing regulation, some restaurateurs have failed to follow the law, and in general it hasn't been enforced.
...if bar or restaurant owners are forced to move their patio fences back from the roadway under the new rules, measures are being researched that could allow them to expand in other ways to make up for the lost square footage, the committee heard.
For instance, one of the new measures would allow patios to spread to the left or right, in front of neighbouring storefronts, provided those business owners agree.
Other suggestions to make up for the lost square footage include allowing cafe's to expand into adjacent parking spaces.
FULL STORY: New plan proposes pushing patios back to make room for pedestrians, people with disabilities
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
LA's Top Parks, Ranked
TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
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.