It's official! New York City will permanently allow the curbspace in front of bars and restaurants to be used for outdoor seating -- at least for part of the year. On Thursday, August 3rd, the City Council approved a permanent Open Restaurants bill that operates from April through October. Although Open Plans believes a year-round option would be best -- we strongly advocated for that -- this is still an exciting moment for New York's public realm. It's an acknowledgement that our curbs are public space; space that should be used to drive the health and happiness of our city forward.
We want to thank the leaders in City Council and City Hall for their vision getting this bill passed, our fellow advocates, and you! Whether you sent a letter to your Council Member asking them to support the program, or simply supported your local businesses at outdoor cafes, New Yorkers everywhere embraced outdoor dining and helped turn this pandemic-era innovation into a permanent fixture of city life. This is a big next step in the ongoing evolution toward people-centered streets.
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