Design Trust for Public Space, Regional Plan Association, and Tri-State Transportation Campaign are working together to ensure that Open Restaurants and Open Streets programs are accessible to all New Yorkers, beneficial for the local communities, and sustainable in the long term. Our groups are celebrating street life in New York City, providing information to businesses and community groups, and working to expand these programs to more neighborhoods.
The 2021 Alfresco Awards
As open streets and open restaurants become permanent in New York City, Design Trust for Public Space, Regional Plan Association, and Tri-State Transportation Campaign are launching the Alfresco Awards to recognize the city’s best outdoor dining spaces and open streets, and celebrate street life across the five boroughs.
The Alfrescos will award several $500 prizes in three different categories to NYC establishments that innovate in design, safely re-imagine our streets, and build partnerships with their communities:
- Sustainability, Innovation & Design
Awards in this category are for creative solutions that improve the outdoor experience and are conscious of the environment. - Community Partnership, Integration, & Promotion of Values
Awards in this category are for exemplary collaborations with neighbors. For example, volunteer groups that donate time and services, efforts that celebrate neighborhood diversity, or great examples of shared spaces. - Safety & Mobility
Awards in this category are for safety-conscious designs able to ensure that street users of all ages and mobility can access and enjoy outdoor culture.
Thank you to everyone who participated in our nomination process. award winners will be announced in the coming weeks, stay tuned!
Alfresco Awards Jury
- Justin Davidson, Author
- Blair Duncan, President & Chief Executive Officer, Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone
- Danny Harris, Executive Director, Transportation Alternatives
- Helen Ho, Co-Founder, Biking Public Project
- Samara Karasyk, EVP, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce and 5 Borough Lead, NYC Small Business Resource Network
- Eman Rimawi, Access-A-Ride Campaign Coordinator and Organizer, NY Lawyers for the Public Interest
- Andrew Rigie, Executive Director, NYC Hospitality Alliance
- Janette Sadik-Khan, Bloomberg Associates, former NYCDOT Commissioner
- Katie Schwab, Managing Director, Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies
- Shabazz Stuart, CEO Oonee, StreetsPAC board member
- Diana Tsui, Editorial Director, The Infatuation
- Jonathan Waxman, Chef
- Claire Weisz, FAIA, Principal-in-Charge, WXY
- Michelle Young, Founder, Untapped New York
NYC Department of Transportation Permits
Open Restaurants Application
For street-level food establishments that want to expand dining onto the sidewalk or at the curb. The program promotes open space, enhances social distancing, and helps restaurants serve patrons.
Questions? Contact us!
Open Streets Application
For community groups, BIDs or groups of three or more businesses on a single block that want to expand dining and community programing by closing their streets to car-traffic.
Questions? Contact us!
Applications are currently being accepted for Open Restaurants and Open Streets on the NYC DOT website! If you are interested in participating, apply through one of the links above. If you have questions, let us know and we will do our best to help.
Our Mission
We are convinced that the Open Streets and Open Restaurants programs can be the beginning of a new approach to city streets. After one year of operation, these temporary programs have shown positive results and brought new life and energy to our city. But as the programs become permanent, we are committed to helping improve design of the dining structures and addressing operational and equity challenges.
We are committed to the following goals:
Equal Access
Expand the program to neighborhoods and businesses lacking the financial and human resources to benefit from the existing Open Streets and Open Restaurant programs. Remove physical and financial barriers for vulnerable groups such as people with a low income, language barriers, and/or an impairment. On-the-street dining and recreation should be accessible and affordable for all New Yorkers.
Streets for People
Reframe streets as socioeconomic infrastructure able to support the prosperity of local businesses and communities. Street’s design should be safe, sustainable, and equitable for both people and the environment.
Healthy Environments
Ensure that streets promote people’s mental and physical wellness through design and programming that prevent traffic fatalities and injuries, the spread of airborne diseases such as COVID-19 and the chronic conditions associated with low physical activity, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, many types of cancer, depression, and anxiety, and dementia (CDC).
Local and City-Wide Connectivity
Reprioritize streets to promote local connectivity, reduce traffic congestion, and rationalize approaches to parking and curb use. Develop a network of Open Streets for walking, cycling and micro-mobility that connects to transit and main destinations.
Sustainable Collaboration
Support the continuation of community partnership that have emerged to assist Open Streets and Open Restaurants. Gather transferable knowledge on best practices and share knowledge citywide. Ensure information is provided in various languages and accessible in all neighborhoods with targeted outreach in underserved areas.
Supporting Open Restaurants
Supporting Open Streets
Alfresco NYC is run collaboratively by Design Trust for Public Space, Region Plan Association, and Tri-State Transportaion Campaign. The project is funded by grants from The New York Community Trust and M&T Bank.
