Seattle Experiments With Fence-Free Sidewalk Cafés

To fence or not to fence? Stephen Fesler discusses a Seattle Department of Transportation initiative promoting fence-free cafes. "Sidewalk cafés are a traditional element of right-of-way use that goes back centuries. They provide for street activation and can be a reasonable use of excess space in the public realm."

In part, regulations around how establishments serve liquor determine whether they can go fence-free. "The fence-free sidewalk cafés came about as an option in response to changes by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board that allows restaurants to serve alcohol on sidewalks as long as pavement makers clearly identify the bounds of the sidewalk café."

Of course, the prospect of an unfenced outdoor dining experience may not be to everyone's liking. Fesler writes, "Some sidewalk café patrons may not be terribly keen on passerby walking so closely by–but such is the life of a busy, dense urban environment."