North American street design for the coronavirus pandemic: a typology of emerging interventions

Outdoor Dining and the Transformation of Public Space in New York City

“…Several of our findings suggest more research is needed to understand how mobility, accessibility, and overall quality of life (lived space) has been impacted by outdoor dining and a reimagining of public spaces (conceived space). This is particularly important considering that many North American cities, including NYC, are reimagining streets for people, not cars as a result of the pandemic (Combs & Pardo;Noland et al, 2022;Gregg et al, 2022). Notably, in the short-term, this has been well-received even by car owners (Transportation Alternatives, 2021), but permanent changes will also necessitate changes in policy, for example incentivizing people to use public transportation or other modes of transportation instead of cars.…”

“…The space being used for outdoor dining overlaps with public spaces such as sidewalks and streets, which has sparked conflicts between the city's multiple stakeholders. At the time of this writing, there are many news reports about outdoor dining and the conflicts surrounding them (Gregg et al, 2022); however, scientific research on the ways in which the program has transformed public space in New York City is still emerging (e.g., Yang, 2020). Additional research is necessary, as due to its overall success, the city is currently working toward establishing a permanent Open Restaurants program by the end of this year.…”