![Alfresco Logo 01](https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/300/quality:80/work/Reports/2021-reports/Open-Streets-Ahead/AlfrescoLogo_-01.png?bossToken=72bfa37d2b3a11be3cd91b4a9d44fb5b8a7aaa0ef125033b18a72ab0c19da3b7 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/600/quality:80/work/Reports/2021-reports/Open-Streets-Ahead/AlfrescoLogo_-01.png?bossToken=0aeab944d118b15940faa04212936d9914010f37ed51c03a42595080eecf3f3f 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/900/quality:80/work/Reports/2021-reports/Open-Streets-Ahead/AlfrescoLogo_-01.png?bossToken=8dc6f4ecffb975e96f12730650241be35a05577e2fce82c50563f951f54f71de 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1200/quality:80/work/Reports/2021-reports/Open-Streets-Ahead/AlfrescoLogo_-01.png?bossToken=777681600167c039e8637bb20ec1947b63c4c28ba5092d7df4bbe8777005bc19 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1500/quality:80/work/Reports/2021-reports/Open-Streets-Ahead/AlfrescoLogo_-01.png?bossToken=23ee5e3cfebf9ddd944b344553a590e80d8826a4b86c1d5844e8faae1d2c9291 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1800/quality:80/work/Reports/2021-reports/Open-Streets-Ahead/AlfrescoLogo_-01.png?bossToken=8bf65a0d892ccacf4499d66baffaf480c8a964fe9d43e58df6b695b46813479f 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2100/quality:80/work/Reports/2021-reports/Open-Streets-Ahead/AlfrescoLogo_-01.png?bossToken=2b3dfdf7916e55c4b3dde12256209acdfaf795f50e1b32dbd5f41f4908d212c7 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2400/quality:80/work/Reports/2021-reports/Open-Streets-Ahead/AlfrescoLogo_-01.png?bossToken=8ed591ac8db164750626f3124e00f05f6a75deb50cf44818129b534c1a8a15c6 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2700/quality:80/work/Reports/2021-reports/Open-Streets-Ahead/AlfrescoLogo_-01.png?bossToken=087a3e37cd7f36e0c2870878e22f371d3f492f9d10d4a07fb3d76e566732d86a 1543w)
The Alfresco NYC Coalition is committed to improving the quality of New York streets for all New Yorkers and supporting the long-term potential of the Open Restaurants and Open Streets programs. As New York City shifts from an emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic to a period of reimagining public corridors for people, our coalition is committed to ensuring that these long-term plans remain equitable, accessible, safe, clean, and visionary.
![Open Streets logo Lockup 01](https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/300/quality:80/work/Reports/2021-reports/Open-Streets-Ahead/OpenStreets_logoLockup-01.png?bossToken=cd9dd574e47364594c80432db3f2efffd568d880e713230ccf4b836f414bd534 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/600/quality:80/work/Reports/2021-reports/Open-Streets-Ahead/OpenStreets_logoLockup-01.png?bossToken=900feeff2aa1e9961d13a5e698c9a2bf4fc98c586357ff1ddabda605c05c6caa 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/900/quality:80/work/Reports/2021-reports/Open-Streets-Ahead/OpenStreets_logoLockup-01.png?bossToken=4be38235cc2559d9471cea174c6c7fa472182a2ca386761ce4bbfe48647c14c5 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1200/quality:80/work/Reports/2021-reports/Open-Streets-Ahead/OpenStreets_logoLockup-01.png?bossToken=a088f21a548fe20965a0ff30ef6f9ffc21a42c1574b7afd661e62d2643a19a04 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1500/quality:80/work/Reports/2021-reports/Open-Streets-Ahead/OpenStreets_logoLockup-01.png?bossToken=2852966b41948e032fa3713b1b4221c70e08618804aad4aa1fa030eabb233e0c 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1800/quality:80/work/Reports/2021-reports/Open-Streets-Ahead/OpenStreets_logoLockup-01.png?bossToken=81c23015e67d798c94c8b6c648bfaa500520fb4d83e07222ea83bb76eb0cfb4b 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2100/quality:80/work/Reports/2021-reports/Open-Streets-Ahead/OpenStreets_logoLockup-01.png?bossToken=64b856fd4d4fbcca50bcdd8072276aa9adb19e0dd2467e3855c5da14de616178 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2400/quality:80/work/Reports/2021-reports/Open-Streets-Ahead/OpenStreets_logoLockup-01.png?bossToken=9d7c756a35b621eaffbe374fb099662941c2fa384c9977af4126f865949a1fa0 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2700/quality:80/work/Reports/2021-reports/Open-Streets-Ahead/OpenStreets_logoLockup-01.png?bossToken=4dd3a98883a4d54fffb1777badbd2ad26f0de8f718f449558d190b3a91f0a3cc 1543w)
Key Recommendations for Open Restaurants
Responding to COVID-19, the State’s emergency order gave New York City the ability to establish a temporary outdoor dining program. This suspended the rules governing the City’s previous Sidewalk Cafe program. As a result, more restaurants were able to create outdoor dining spaces in the sidewalk and curb lane and could do so with a remarkably quick self-certification process that reduced the many barriers faced by businesses when using the public right-of-way.
Through the Open Restaurants emergency program, over 12,000 restaurants around the city created or expanded their outdoor dining footprint, a decision that saved as many as 100,000 jobs. While many small businesses were given an important lifeline, others, as documented by the Bridge Street Development Corporation, businesses on Malcom X Boulevard faced permanent closure because of the pandemic. 91 percent of restaurant operators believe that the City’s temporary outdoor dining program was very important to the survival of their businesses.
Simultaneously, New York City started experimenting with a range of other “Open” programs, such as Open Streets that reimagined streets as open space for outdoor recreation, Open Culture for artists to perform, and Open Storefronts for small businesses to sell their goods. These programs accelerated a transition—at least in awareness—of how to make streets and sidewalks more accessible and more focused on people.
New York City has over 3,000,000 free parking spaces around the city, which equates to over 10,000 acres of the estimated 32,000 acres of roadway that are only serving parked, private automobiles. Over ¾ of space between buildings is given over to the movement and storage of vehicles. Advocates from a range of sectors—hospitality, transportation, urban design, sanitation—have long celebrated new opportunities to create a much more diverse and inclusive public realm. No intervention has provided such a dramatic change in how we use our streets and sidewalks in such a short time as the “Open” programs.
These programs, launched under emergency terms, dramatically reduced the amount of red tape for businesses and community groups to certify and license their interventions. It’s hard to overstate how crucial this self-certification process is to lowering barriers for program participation. In what was previously a nine-month approval process for sidewalk cafes, now allowed businesses to set up seating in a matter of hours.
This flexibility has been a boon in learning about the opportunities of more flexible licensing, but it has also created challenges related to more lenient use of New York’s very limited public realm. A small but vocal group of neighborhood advocates have rightfully pointed to deleterious effects: challenges in keeping streets clean and free of rodents, increased concentrations of noise pollution, unsightly and deteriorating sheds, and physical accessibility limitations. Opponents have been trying to use the legal system to halt the program. A lawsuit was filed to force the City to undertake a full environmental review of the program. This lawsuit was dismissed in late 2022, but another lawsuit questioning the continued emergency order authorizing the program is pending.
As COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in July of 2021, the City initiated a process for a permanent outdoor dining program. The Department of City Planning and the Department of Transportation announced a public engagement process in October 2021, followed by the City Planning Commission voting to remove zoning restrictions on sidewalk cafes, which previously limited outdoor dining to select neighborhoods mostly in Manhattan. Started under Mayor Bill de Blasio, Mayor Eric Adams has remained publicly in favor of developing a successful long-term solution. The zoning text amendment was passed in February of 2022. As of this writing, the Mayor’s Office, agency leaders, and City Council remain in discussion around legislation and rulemaking to determine the future of the program and its management.
This report is focused on ensuring these discussions within the City, and amongst every stakeholder, is addressing the needs of this program from many perspectives. Through various research, interviews, round tables and open-call contests, we have seen how Open Restaurants can be more than a business program, it can also inspire creativity and ingenuity in how we think about our public spaces.
Open Restaurants Timeline
2020 Under Bill de Blasio
March 12 - Ban on large events and state mandate for restaurants to reduce capacity by half
March 16 - State-mandated Indoor dining shutdown
June 4 - NYC presents the outdoor dinning plan
June 22 - NYC launched its Open Restaurants program officially opening outdoor dining
July 7 - NYC introduced the three strike compliance policy
July 17 - NY - Open Restaurants emergency program extended until October 31st. Originally set to end on Labor Day
By mid-August 2020 - approximately 1,000 NYC restaurants had closed
September 25 - NY Open Restaurants program allowed to be year-round
November 11 - 10pm curfew for restaurants and bars
2021 Under Bill de Blasio
Februay 12 - NY Indoor Dining reopens at 25% capacity
April 19 - NY lifts capacity restriction for businesses while requiring physical distancing with barriers or 6ft separation.
April 29 - NYC City Council Passes Bill to Make Open Streets Program Permanen
July 1 - NY Ban of propane-fueled heating for outdoor dining. Natural gas radiant heaters only allowed on the sidewalk.
July 15 - NY Covid-19 Restrictions officially lifted for commercial establishments
October 5 - NYC DCP and DOT Announce engagement process for Permanent Open Restaurants
November 15 - NYC Planning Commission votes to remove zoning prohibitions on sidewalk cafes
2022 Under Eric Adams
February 24 - NYC Council passed legislation that could enable permanent Open Restaurants
April 20 - NYC unveiled a new containerized waste bin that will be eventually deployed city-wide
July 29 - Residents suit Open Restaurants and requested an environmental review
August 18 - NYC City Hall task force dismantled 24 “abandoned, non-compliant, or destroyed” outdoor dining setups
October 4 - NYC Court dismissed residents’ lawsuit as Open Restaurants showed no adverse environmental impact.
![E Peg Xnh WAAUSDH2 1](https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/300/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/EPegXnhWAAUSDH2-1.jpg?bossToken=cbd38597f3f59e20137c87865d028367ecd35593d0ec818c1ec903e28ddbb37c 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/600/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/EPegXnhWAAUSDH2-1.jpg?bossToken=489a895d0e7b38cf17684bd00a3babfc8fb2694776b56e3dfcc2b89b45bdcb85 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/900/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/EPegXnhWAAUSDH2-1.jpg?bossToken=0975931efcda73aff0ad029285ac4259bc97199f9ed8b6132947bfd48ab058f6 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1200/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/EPegXnhWAAUSDH2-1.jpg?bossToken=f7ce4809c7481615869a34b6ffd0b007700b1f58211a79f0379185927fde6470 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1500/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/EPegXnhWAAUSDH2-1.jpg?bossToken=a3164001ab971e129cb32a11c16b1dc35052d12780791d075b11c5ae5f1d6d05 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1800/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/EPegXnhWAAUSDH2-1.jpg?bossToken=938f792de8ba4fca3cf04c9fee01969222d46fbcaf1ec779dba1d69db4b91a76 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2100/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/EPegXnhWAAUSDH2-1.jpg?bossToken=ad5674063216bf782955212516119253fd4ecc8d78b341ff24d17f23ed2049bf 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2400/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/EPegXnhWAAUSDH2-1.jpg?bossToken=c12f177dcd6dfe7d1fca5e6216907c25a3ca72318a653ef62135c82c626457cd 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2700/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/EPegXnhWAAUSDH2-1.jpg?bossToken=502519702d09836dfcf116f509d85a584569aef948f459caeacdc012ebc10dcc 1543w)
“Future Streets for Car Free Earth Day” by American Institute of Architects with ASLA and APA. Car Free Earth Day 2019: Broadway, Manhattan. Image: NYC DOT
Ultimately, the future of Open Restaurants and the other “Open” programs should be responsive, both to the immense opportunity of streets for people and to the very real concerns of so freely using the public realm. Thankfully, there are common sense and effective ways forward. Alfresco NYC has developed a set of principles to guide the future of the program and a set of specific policy recommendations that can help make those principles possible.
Alfresco NYC Principles
- Continue the Open Restaurants program — The opportunity is too big: the Open Restaurant program should be continued and nurtured as part of an integrated vision for our streets and sidewalks under the NYC Department of Transportation (NYCDOT). The City should further continue to collaborate closely with designers and advocates to develop the permanent program and evolve it to keep meeting the needs of New Yorkers over time.
- Focus on streets as collective spaces and shared amenities — This is one component of a larger vision to reimagine our streets for people. A new approach towards streets should activate corridors with appropriate intervention types that can integrate with other curb lane uses and community needs.
- Flexible, lighter-weight designs, with pre-approved products — Regulations should promote designs that are flexible and less intrusive, with a line of pre-approved products to give businesses confidence in meeting city regulations and improving the public realm.
- Seasonal implementation — A seasonal roadway dining program should include a process to address equity issues for small businesses, prevent spaces from reverting to parking in the off-season, and provide multi-year agreements. Variances for year-round set ups should be considered on a case-by-case basis for merchants contributing to the public realm.
- Appropriate governance and oversight — The City should consolidate how it manages, supports, and enforces the public realm, lowering regulatory barriers to activating spaces. It should also create the necessary capacity within the agency to direct public resources to neighborhoods that have been historically left out of these programs.
- Physical Accessibility — The program should adhere to regulations and designs that make universal accessibility a reality.
- Program Equity — The program should be accessible for smaller businesses in all boroughs who may lack the time,resources, or understanding to navigate complicated bureaucratic processes. This includes ensuring non-English speaking merchants have the same opportunity to access the program.
- Responsible phasing from emergency to permanent — The City should have clear, well-communicated plans to help businesses phase away from the emergency program and allow time for stakeholders to learn new regulations and update existing interventions in the right-of-way.
To bring these key principles to life, the city will have to focus its attention on a cascading set of questions, moving from the establishment of a permanent program to its execution, to potential tools to help this program grow and thrive. The Alfresco NYC Coalition believes these recommendations can guide the concrete steps necessary to answer those questions and realize a thriving Open Restaurants program.
Recommendation One
Phased Transition to the Permanent Program
Design a phased, supportive approach to transition businesses from the emergency to permanent program.
![Rec 1 Pearl Street by DUMBO BID](https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/300/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-1_Pearl-Street-by-DUMBO-BID.jpg?bossToken=b6f159f3ca311162974770f9ae6adf120713c0c9c4675df0847fe8c33316d6ad 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/600/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-1_Pearl-Street-by-DUMBO-BID.jpg?bossToken=40ee55a76e506b2a7cd9b84af62b905f06f8cb3603d94d01789989f985a638ec 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/900/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-1_Pearl-Street-by-DUMBO-BID.jpg?bossToken=bd1c12396054471d622c0e07f855f14b7e777e9f1f528285b09f334d765c34a2 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1200/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-1_Pearl-Street-by-DUMBO-BID.jpg?bossToken=e7689834c9c506fc2b5dbbd4b3a2031d0520b1421da2e7d7e3b1b3187250832d 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1500/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-1_Pearl-Street-by-DUMBO-BID.jpg?bossToken=4b027dec25bd0bb2763c46dbe341f2b0c11f7c088b11dc626f620207e53a4122 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1800/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-1_Pearl-Street-by-DUMBO-BID.jpg?bossToken=c2faf127c6d64227e13641235c7cbe8a439d5ed41ba13ae686caee8bd9993ed8 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2100/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-1_Pearl-Street-by-DUMBO-BID.jpg?bossToken=f157eb346528b2ad44c5638cccd95e28b0e82af9a6de6c1a989ea2264a91a440 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2400/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-1_Pearl-Street-by-DUMBO-BID.jpg?bossToken=7bac2aa36071c63812431ae178e6dc9f312fd7ed4238aaf399c9bc0612c9e7ff 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2700/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-1_Pearl-Street-by-DUMBO-BID.jpg?bossToken=5c1161c939c4b4d79e1621ebf2ec7034d80b9e8ab2f74e5f8f21317d173a666f 1543w)
Pearl Street transition from parking to permanent plaza from 2007 to 2023. Image: NYC DOT
At issue: Businesses have invested time, money, and materials into building outdoor dining structures. The transition from the emergency to permanent program will be complicated, including the demolition of obsolete structures, communicating rule changes, and ensuring restaurants are not burdened with additional debt after their initial investment. A requirement to immediately demolish all structures and start from scratch would be unfair and wasteful. A phased and equitable approach must be taken that allows businesses to maintain operations as they strategize how to adapt to save on time and resources.
How to address this: The transitional process should be unambiguous and thoughtful, giving restaurants time to prepare for permanent guidelines. This should include a transitional period that allows private businesses nominal time to adjust their current operations, while allowing the City to deal with bad actors. To do this the City should:
Develop a phased approach, with clear timelines for the immediate and long-term program goals with at least a one-year grace period for compliant structures to transition to the permanent program.
Create a set of requirements and expectations for everyone involved—businesses, community groups, technical service providers, City agencies, and community boards. All stakeholders should understand their immediate transition phase responsibilities, and what to expect as the program matures.
Communicate with program participants and communities up front about what will and won’t be permitted in the permanent program. The City should be clear about fundamental design, operational, and safety principles that will be enforced to address agency needs and quality of life concerns— even before full details of the permanent program go through public review.
Provide resources and technical support to help restaurants adapt existing structures that can comply with the permanent program, develop protocols to assess and inform restaurants about how to use existing materials, and limit or waive program fees during initial implementation of the permanent program.
Create a system to help restaurants facing financial hurdles remove components or demolish unwanted structures.
Establish a process to regularly engage designers and community advocates that supported the emergency program to help understand challenges, inform design decisions, and develop parameters for the permanent program.
Recommendation Two
Integrated Streets
Integrate Open Restaurants into the NYC Streets Plan to ensure its implementation reflects a comprehensive vision for reclaiming the right-of-way for non-vehicle uses.
![Nyc streets plan 59 copy](https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/300/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/nyc-streets-plan-59-copy.jpg?bossToken=031d675c02dbb63cbafdfdb8020384d03b48e25d5448dbffcce08771738c5176 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/600/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/nyc-streets-plan-59-copy.jpg?bossToken=0905717900e634ce990d50d5c5864504f9312baa9955cc0f538ef3e31be00269 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/900/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/nyc-streets-plan-59-copy.jpg?bossToken=dded202bcb82beb9d80d6ee520d73123f4a70c74b6686d16b51a66d723fd961f 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1200/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/nyc-streets-plan-59-copy.jpg?bossToken=7cc1e088ed8ee8e42bbf6997a0a976cf94192dcb8f4479b32578795dc0c4e4ed 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1500/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/nyc-streets-plan-59-copy.jpg?bossToken=8b986fc3149c4798dddc6c4f02ff233af09df8a4a60b62e45a80660a19fba983 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1800/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/nyc-streets-plan-59-copy.jpg?bossToken=87bf9418d8e32da54e57dca543f8cf543294b0cd4b8da7b75d22e06106be8328 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2100/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/nyc-streets-plan-59-copy.jpg?bossToken=d5123c684822a2563afb675b639c545a73aeb9c346e5ab2e19e25f33046749ba 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2400/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/nyc-streets-plan-59-copy.jpg?bossToken=47108af1e27646b4415db26f3b64a516680fbc7fe58f5e2c3c24298d08c29efe 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2700/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/nyc-streets-plan-59-copy.jpg?bossToken=7fa65669b537806c51ec2f35c8582c620ee5c20d31ac12cf08a2f0bf7f3ce11d 1543w)
DOT’s Streets Plan identifies street typologies to guide street design projects. Image: NYC DOT NYC Streets Plan 2021
Recommendation Three
A Kit-of-Parts Menu
Create a pre-approved “Kit-of-Parts Menu” for Open Restaurants made up of affordable, flexible options for businesses.
Canopy studies developed during a series of design workshops coordinated by the AIA NYC. Images: American Institute of Architects (AIA) New York + Re-Ply Guideline Recommendations
At issue: Two years after the temporary program started, the quality of maintenance and expansive designs have resulted in some unsightly and unwieldy structures. While the Alfresco awards celebrated innovative designs and local identity in a number of structures citywide in 2021, today there are still unclear guidelines on what is currently allowed, sometimes resulting in fully enclosed structures with padlocked doors or over-the-top designs that overtake the sidewalks and impede accessibility. Additionally, shifting guidance early in the emergency program resulted in many restaurants having to rebuild their structures.
How to address this: Going forward in a permanent program, businesses should have certainty that their designs will comply, communities should benefit from more lightweight, flexible structures, and the City should be able to promote designs that can comply with different regulatory concerns.
The City should develop an affordable and flexible Kit-of-Parts menu, populated by pre-approved products that will work for a variety of businesses that are aligned with these needs. It should present design combinations based on community needs, street typology and the location of the dining (roadway, sidewalk, open street, etc.).
Develop the Kit-of-Parts according to a typical set-up, such as movable furniture, safety barriers, platforms or improved ramps to ensure universal accessibility from the curb, and lightweight canopies for shade and protection from inclement weather. These pieces may be interchangeable or vary in their appropriateness for each street typology. This would help ensure that businesses and community groups easily understand what is feasible at their locations.
Lightweight lighting, and other features that make outdoor dining functional, comfortable and safe should be considered as additional pieces of the Kit-of-Parts. These features should not be hardwired, nor should they create additional obstructions or impacts to the surrounding community. Visibility, safety and modularity should be central to what is permitted.
The City should ensure that the Kit-of-Parts is developed in collaboration with the number of architects, designers, planners and community leaders - Design Advocates, Design Corps, and Assembly for Chinatown for example - who provided expertise and pro bono services to address the many process and atypical design challenges on our streets and sidewalks.
The Kit-of-Parts should encourage reusing viable materials from previous structures and promote using materials that are sustainable in the long term. Technical assistance can help businesses understand how to adapt.
Components of the kit-of-parts should be developed to address multiple challenges. For example, platforms can help provide universal accessibility and allow for better drainage, but must prevent nesting of pests and other sanitation concerns. Designs could be encouraged to support stormwater collection or integrate to help maintain green infrastructure.
Establishments should continue to be able to create vibrant art, lift up neighborhood culture, and otherwise beautify their outdoor spaces in ways that enhance street life within the parameters of new design guidelines. The Kit-of-Parts should be developed to serve as a platform for local creativity.
Under a seasonal program, a standard kit-of-parts should be paired with services to ensure small businesses are able to participate. For example, a reasonably priced rental fee that includes set up and storage by a City-vetted third party would limit the need for businesses to incur upfront capital costs.
Recommendation Four
A Right-Sized Review Process
Right-size the review process to streamline the program. Simple setups should be incentivized through an expedited approval, with added layers of review reflecting the complexity of the proposed design, curb management needs or requests for variances.
![Rec 4 Chelsea Market](https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/300/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-4_Chelsea-Market.jpg?bossToken=0b1686473f7baad7320ef63476a4a2c030cc14d29235a921877a95e78e297517 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/600/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-4_Chelsea-Market.jpg?bossToken=4dfc007617c2144adff4f642fa5755b2b914535e0a47d5ea6129c37634c8e666 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/900/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-4_Chelsea-Market.jpg?bossToken=230bbe70e19e5870075f47ed4e2d1e3c9deea1102087e546f63cd1740c67a717 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1200/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-4_Chelsea-Market.jpg?bossToken=94d16ff3febe40413000053a62c52a71fe3035ef708e28fe449805097136dc2d 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1500/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-4_Chelsea-Market.jpg?bossToken=9714477bd1a0b453630ac76f51c0ac35487b5dec86d8bdedc5693cf3c20c88dd 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1800/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-4_Chelsea-Market.jpg?bossToken=6d6749af40a89a735aa73a1a77b636211e8ebcc107660780f986ebc043f6fc08 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2100/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-4_Chelsea-Market.jpg?bossToken=cc54a190c7416985bed746aabbf80edd1b5ed96171a9e2daf33620dd15f4597a 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2400/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-4_Chelsea-Market.jpg?bossToken=a61bd66d38e4c70471adf882a63b52d22ea6c635f6a61855b2461f3a6d759034 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2700/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-4_Chelsea-Market.jpg?bossToken=3c7e391d31207c4fc003e7c48b9f7058bba5f91fcc98f4599c8bb0bfeda770f2 1543w)
Setups have different levels of complexity and approval processes should be responsive to such differences. Image: Chelsea Market via Alfresco Awards
At issue: Prior to the pandemic, outdoor dining was limited to sidewalk cafes and encumbered by a lengthy and expensive review process. The Open Restaurants program’s self-certification process dramatically reduced barriers to entry, allowing more businesses across the city to participate. As we transition to the permanent program, a process is necessary to ensure safety and quality, but it should not revert to an onerous process that leaves the program out of reach for small businesses, especially those outside of Manhattan. A right-sized review process would incentivize simple set-ups and lessen the burden on agencies and communities.
How to address this: While structural reforms to licensing would require revising the City’s Charter, there are clear steps available to make the review process more streamlined and more equitable:
Create an intuitive user experience for the review process that clearly depicts the steps and their associated costs and timelines for approval. This should be visually appealing, reference the standard kit-of-parts available to businesses, and include support for design or other technical assistance that restaurateurs may need. It should include examples of how different types of proposals will be treated in the review process.
Work with designers and community advocates to integrate their lessons learned into the review process and consult with them regularly for insights in updating program details as needs evolve.
Create and promote pre-vetted set-ups, like the Kit-of-Parts, with negligible impacts on the right-of-way, and incentivize businesses to use them through a more expeditious approval process. Under the process for simple, unenclosed sidewalk cafes prior to the pandemic, Department of Consumer and Worker Protections (DCWP) had the option to waive a public hearing, thus saving up to a month on the review timeline.
Implement a process to review atypical situations to allow for applicants to deviate from standard guidelines. A few factors may require businesses to secure a variance—e.g. sloped streets, more accessibility, narrow sidewalks—and they should not be denied if they work to address them.
Create a public database of how atypical scenarios were addressed and outcome of reviews to enable businesses, designers or other stakeholders to understand how to approach similar situations.
Consideration should be given to variance requests for year-round roadway seating that considers factors such as public seating, recent roadwork, traffic calming or pedestrian safety needs, and other agency goals for particular corridors. This could help break down silos and allow businesses to play a role in providing or maintaining City assets, such as green streets or other flood mitigation infrastructure.
Create a transparent appeals process to enable businesses to understand why their outdoor dining was denied and that outlines a path to approval if feasible.
Ensure that approvals result in multi-year permits to encourage engagement in the program, protect small business investments, and prevent annual politicization of the curb lane.
Create a temporary license option, limited to a 30-day review period, to permit outdoor dining set ups for a single season while an establishment goes through a more formal multi-year license review. This would help businesses test whether it is suitable for their business to engage in outdoor dining. Those that open close to the start of the season would benefit by not having to wait an additional year to begin outdoor service. This could be mirrored after the Temporary Retail Operating Permit, which allows new liquor license applicants to receive a 90-day permit to serve alcohol after a 30-day review while their formal application is processed.
The City should use the review process to educate businesses to other right-of-way interventions, including Open Streets, Street Seats, and the Plaza Program. These options should also be available to basement and upper-floor restaurants that are not currently able to utilize storefront right-of-ways.
Consider a charter reform process to comprehensively evaluate and amend revocable consent to make it easier for private entities to activate the right-of-way for public good.
Recommendation Five
A One-Stop Shop Portal
Create a one-stop-shop portal to serve residents and businesses wishing to utilize the right-of-way, providing simplified permit review, resources and services, and fostering better interagency coordination for the City to address capital and maintenance needs more effectively.
![Rec 5 31st Ave](https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/300/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-5_31st-Ave.jpg?bossToken=1d2e3b15e8a25781647724d00728dc3be9acbc1b3d5bc268ce60c4ab692cc3fb 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/600/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-5_31st-Ave.jpg?bossToken=a93661215eb7839a02f35ce424ea797e9eef6902be847a81f333a5f50c7ea3d6 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/900/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-5_31st-Ave.jpg?bossToken=79055c6a3775e2a2360d1fc1c8c103a5c2946eed2e17581b46ec0cdfe1491d23 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1200/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-5_31st-Ave.jpg?bossToken=a7e85c46b423fc159af86ac3546525df196653bbc121e9d67b900298352282e9 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1500/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-5_31st-Ave.jpg?bossToken=bd453589ed0b43d791058a7bc8589eb2a21c2c33b98eaf58ca40f018a0ad1fb3 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1800/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-5_31st-Ave.jpg?bossToken=35eddf648e7276435fb6ba00a3107f5e1187188bbcddc96c009eaa764337d42a 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2100/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-5_31st-Ave.jpg?bossToken=ef65c5ed1e7e942d8306cecb48a83c85ab69333c722c91d4683594f27e639590 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2400/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-5_31st-Ave.jpg?bossToken=b63bc85c488642b8723a8ef1c9d067d6f406170629a0e287a213060f22f6060b 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2700/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-5_31st-Ave.jpg?bossToken=9a8626ea69a54a1369087b9b1ef94ecdc563f7b1553e1acc137144a2619123ce 1543w)
Diverse programming at 31st Avenue in Astoria. Image: 31st Avenue Open Street
At issue: The Open Restaurants Permit application enabled businesses to self-certify compliance with a simple one-page form that, coupled with support from design professionals and community groups, helped spur creativity and innovation throughout the city. This is contrasted with the many programs, agencies, and applications normally required to engage in other right-of-way activities, limiting the number and success of public realm activities. Moreover, a fragmented approach makes it difficult for agencies to coordinate and meet their operational goals. An online portal could integrate the variety of agency programs for the end user, streamlining education and approvals, while also helping agencies coordinate better.
Recommendation Six
Sliding Scale Fees for Permits
Ensure that fee structures for activating public space are flexible and fair so that they do not create barriers to entry for small businesses or less-resourced organizations.
![Open Restaurants By borough](https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/300/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Open-Restaurants-By-borough.png?bossToken=31958a0ecf526293a028e5e084f71d88fe0218231ebf927e243e70770861e902 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/600/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Open-Restaurants-By-borough.png?bossToken=20f3203d383b91a44177f7cff349f44b8651393ae2d4d49407e41327f530cef0 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/900/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Open-Restaurants-By-borough.png?bossToken=0f1e91f088d3cc3fa5a07fe909965106afdc4f7a56ab7a4cc90d0a3d2042f733 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1200/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Open-Restaurants-By-borough.png?bossToken=98c6a94546a08944e9b97e7a379a2cac4b1dee8a767e65cfa35f3e53ee010022 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1500/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Open-Restaurants-By-borough.png?bossToken=11dc7114dd51bce1860076824f18b56dac0646e22cf69eb1e16a23385c721f25 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1800/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Open-Restaurants-By-borough.png?bossToken=fac4a3f4044bc305459ac17d46e01d9ca7b6cfa0477d194e97ad1c92d8dfe90e 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2100/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Open-Restaurants-By-borough.png?bossToken=1a23d84f2f7e87039696837b4455c22ebf8c2aaac9e3756894ac876c9979a9c7 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2400/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Open-Restaurants-By-borough.png?bossToken=8d666a2910c2b7f55def8127e39e00dadf7df4a71285a10bf8579c86d206aba8 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2700/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Open-Restaurants-By-borough.png?bossToken=2950a3fc8d6a601b1d7b645372c2aa4db227ba20ed286eea92ab47b8687b343c 1543w)
Prior to the emergency program, only 1200 restaurants, primarily in Manhattan participated in the Sidewalk Cafe program, the graph shows increase in participation and distribution of Open Restaurants by borough on November 11th of 2022. Chart: NYC DOT Open Restaurants
At issue: The Open Restaurants emergency program made clear that variations in geography, street frontage, business resources, and foot traffic made for widely different expressions of outdoor dining. Because the program was open to all and low-cost, those variations were made more prominent. As the program moves towards a permanent version, these public spaces should not be free to privatize , and a fee should be collected to support its maintenance and operations. Flat fee structures are cost-prohibitive and can limit some businesses, especially in lower-resourced neighborhoods, from participating in the permanent program.
Recommendation Seven
Prioritize Education Over Penalty-Based Enforcement
With the permanent program, education of guidelines and access to technical resources should be prioritized over the ineffective use of penalties and fines, except for the most egregious violators.
![Mayor Adams Knocks Down alfresco](https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/300/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Mayor-Adams-Knocks-Down-alfresco.jpg?bossToken=32a1942aab5be0f6c6c1426df309667d139ee8ed720bb5a91f87a07fd4edc2a2 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/600/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Mayor-Adams-Knocks-Down-alfresco.jpg?bossToken=0fc12a58c45698477495bcc6f3bc8173e0727b32e8706ba31638985d4f2ab28e 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/900/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Mayor-Adams-Knocks-Down-alfresco.jpg?bossToken=839169d0f0298e7372c834037df45ca66d71d7619ad92eb30a66f8a01f695fe8 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1200/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Mayor-Adams-Knocks-Down-alfresco.jpg?bossToken=af9bd55321720db430fb3b9550566dece1b4fd98f9aaa73b902ece9dd774aeab 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1500/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Mayor-Adams-Knocks-Down-alfresco.jpg?bossToken=adecc473096ecc356aeeb08bf2071f1ca87164e891bd08ff4365a01ed0f6d315 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1800/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Mayor-Adams-Knocks-Down-alfresco.jpg?bossToken=8c933772bab944dde5d972c5ee7290ebcc515bddec4b9603e8ba72e894669c4f 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2100/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Mayor-Adams-Knocks-Down-alfresco.jpg?bossToken=5889bd252cff22190cdaeaf0fc72d5ba94c6bed18111ecb31089780b3082a58b 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2400/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Mayor-Adams-Knocks-Down-alfresco.jpg?bossToken=b162cc71d4a6d01ca38fbb5ad11cbbff2ce002ccc768725c445bb30d042c3bac 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2700/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Mayor-Adams-Knocks-Down-alfresco.jpg?bossToken=184e2fe746322a0f3401de30429d0eb53dee4dcadee3b0c3b84801d8fea4344b 1543w)
Mayor Eric Adams knocks down an abandoned structure as part of his official announcement to remove 24 neglected structures. “We need clear guidelines that are not capriciously enforced” —Yann, restaurant owner at Zoning Resolution for Sidewalk Cafe (February, 2022). Image: nyc.gov, Office of the Mayor
At issue: Punitive measures on merchants and small businesses may only exacerbate the ongoing challenges of the program, especially when there is limited public investment or support. Steep fines for violations may, in turn, have unintended consequences, such as increasing the number of abandoned structures and business closures. Evidence abounds that the use of proactive education, coupled with the right resources, can have the most transformative impact on compliance with public programs such as this.
How to address this: While phasing in the permanent program, the City should prioritize education of new guidelines and promote access to technical resources for business owners. Enforcement should focus on safety, health, and public access of our streets and sidewalks. To accomplish this, the City should:
Create an enforcement plan that is mindful of the transition phase and the complexity of moving from an emergency to permanent program. Enforcement should prioritize repeat violators after appropriate outreach and cure periods. Ensure violations are corrected through proper education, and that technical resources are available for those that may not understand how to fix them.
Conduct direct outreach to provide notices of correction in cases where outdoor dining setups are not meeting guidelines, especially those that pose an immediate danger, create accessibility issues, or impede transit.
Survey businesses and residents over the course of the rollout of the permanent program to help identify problems to correct, identify barriers to compliance, and improve the overall program adaptability.
Standardize a cure period, according to the type of violation, to give operators due time to correct issues. Provide the appropriate provision of technical assistance and material support should it be requested.
Especially during the initial roll-out of the permanent program, the City should find opportunities to provide door-to-door outreach for small businesses to educate them about the program. Such outreach should, at minimum, be in compliance with Local Law 30 of 2017 for language access.
Formalize partnerships with designers and community advocates to connect with businesses that need support with atypical site conditions or other program challenges needing technical support.
Recommendation Eight
Grow the Capacity for Community Engagement
Strengthen the pathways for meaningful community engagement between the City, local organizations, and neighborhood advocates, allowing the program to adapt and be responsible.
![Rec 8 Vanderbilt and DOT](https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/300/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-8_Vanderbilt-and-DOT.jpeg?bossToken=ae8b73db34e95c267e3a22c4e492550cb1c18bb6aa842e94ea82c3d4b5ec3808 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/600/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-8_Vanderbilt-and-DOT.jpeg?bossToken=d4bcd1d58b3e98170e1a44279e2fb801d200c121718333a5ad5e51b8e3aecf8d 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/900/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-8_Vanderbilt-and-DOT.jpeg?bossToken=c62ab368c92f925f664862a92f86d0dd3e6f50ad9abc0e8d18959f5cb25f1c21 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1200/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-8_Vanderbilt-and-DOT.jpeg?bossToken=7338ff2b86196d2cb514567306d094dce099e04399c9ad8bb42d28e58c9dc6ca 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1500/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-8_Vanderbilt-and-DOT.jpeg?bossToken=8e5cfd1b8fed2dadbd246d9b8873b8a14b42b4e44c287e45346d7c435e94ae18 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1800/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-8_Vanderbilt-and-DOT.jpeg?bossToken=6ea00e1f27990faad28940c921b50893d8fc3a2fa08bf78291bbf2cd5f5c0e07 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2100/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-8_Vanderbilt-and-DOT.jpeg?bossToken=a7a0340df8347a34ce0f184e64677ec0edc515def446a48fc2ab2b0081a9e1b0 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2400/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-8_Vanderbilt-and-DOT.jpeg?bossToken=d32df1953db30ee0f39de34c8cb3573d66a88d2efc83fbb2c63785c5d76cfd23 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2700/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-8_Vanderbilt-and-DOT.jpeg?bossToken=5bd762568ab72bbbfb0f18aa2a2f6bc8b72e891383729007629ec44358e3b220 1543w)
Open Restaurant corridors such as Vanderbilt Avenue are an example of collaboration between the city and organized neighbors. Image: Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council
At issue: During the emergency program, City agency staff have found ways to engage directly with program participants and local organizations. While this has been effective as an ad hoc strategy, given capacity constraints and the growth of the program, this leads to elevating the concerns of well-resourced organizations and can limit the voice of those with fewer connections or access to power. For a permanent program to evolve and help communities thrive, a structure must be created to allow for clear communication and bottom-up engagement.
How to address this: To create this necessary engagement, a set of tools should be developed to ensure that continuous feedback is gathered, clear pathways for engagement exist, and that communication is considered a standard practice. To do so, the City should:
Organize a transparent working group of stakeholders, composed of representative design, business, civic, agency and community leaders, who can provide regular feedback on the operation of the program.
Ensure that the One-Stop-Shop portal or 311 properly track community concerns specifically around the Open Restaurants program and filter them to agency staff that will be responsive to the requests.
Standardize an evaluation process for all users of the program that can gather feedback and track the evolution of concerns. Ensure that this process can include feedback from allied stakeholders, such as designers, residents and community groups.
Develop a granular approach towards local feedback by creating or tapping into existing community liaison programs, like DOT’s Street Ambassador Program, Chamber of Commerces’ restaurant liaisons, Business Improvement District leaders and community boards , that can capture different kinds of feedback and connect this information back to the Working Group.
Develop protocol to proactively work with communities with limited English proficiency to ensure the diversity of NYC is reflected in the feedback and evaluation of the program.
Monitor the evolution of quality of life concerns connected to the program to make adjustments to enforcement and regulations. A survey modeled after the Commercial District Needs Assessment carried out by the NYC Department of Small Business Services could help capture practical steps to address quality of life concerns.
Recommendation Nine
Establish Public Private Partnerships for Stewardship
Build off the strength of community and private-sector partnerships by creating a new entity capable of supporting citywide public realm interventions and resourcing local community groups.
![Rec 9 The Hort Plaza Partnership](https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/300/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-9_The-Hort-Plaza-Partnership.jpeg?bossToken=ffc7bc0c0855e1cdb818c76768bc77b9dd41cda53ff91de0db2b390fab5d5098 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/600/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-9_The-Hort-Plaza-Partnership.jpeg?bossToken=c3dc209b9fb40b414658539fb2c2b7ab37d239a5c9764e4ccbe6e929eac20706 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/900/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-9_The-Hort-Plaza-Partnership.jpeg?bossToken=85b96a497f85b8d99616e0f0cb8985f1a1d51df097edce633b065a367c605920 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1200/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-9_The-Hort-Plaza-Partnership.jpeg?bossToken=9b6b46162f6d56347ae68dfda9af880905c01a2bb21005b80cac33704491456c 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1500/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-9_The-Hort-Plaza-Partnership.jpeg?bossToken=6d320a05f9b315ed66625155b8133c9eb7d5eb384f4f1849c9b0d3383e60dcee 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1800/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-9_The-Hort-Plaza-Partnership.jpeg?bossToken=c3708dd4b31491d15e030463fac180ccf2c717184440dc01e847e5ebe7fb172f 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2100/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-9_The-Hort-Plaza-Partnership.jpeg?bossToken=781e775747ce82e7aa5401464d9332548399b76b1c049e642c894a6df9c0ebd4 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2400/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-9_The-Hort-Plaza-Partnership.jpeg?bossToken=d36a35be6616e22db8dd889521f0bc30339be656e09c1b8397e9eab1f03e1e3c 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2700/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-9_The-Hort-Plaza-Partnership.jpeg?bossToken=3a7da78a236f38f70fdacbfc2a12587f1b1bb8fcf791ee3a815c8806186b8b54 1543w)
A member of The Hort GreenTeam at Corona Plaza. Image: Neighborhood Plaza Partnership via Urban Omnibus
At issue: Sustaining and growing the permanent program will require a dedicated set of resources from the city to permit, regulate, and enforce. However, the opportunity to elevate right-of-way improvements, connect to local economic development, and support integration with local organizations, could benefit from extra expertise and resources. A mechanism to roll out improvements and expertise efficiently would benefit community efforts across the city and maximize the potential of these right-of-way improvements.
Recommendation Ten
Increase Universal Accessibility
Leverage the potential of Open Restaurants and Open Streets to achieve greater physical accessibility so that everyone can enjoy outdoor dining, and the public realm, regardless of their physical or cognitive abilities.
At issue: The Open Restaurant program presented clear opportunities to make New York restaurant’s more accessible, by providing alternative seating to establishments that had pre-existing barriers, such as older buildings requiring steps to enter. Open Restaurants required a removable ramp for connectivity between the curb and the roadbed for those with mobility challenges. Accessibility advocates note that such ramps are inadequate because they tend to be unstable, do not work on steep inclines, and reduce circulation space. With limited ADA requirements and public education, many Open Restaurants have been missing the opportunity to attract customers with disabilities and neglecting their right to use the sidewalk.
How to address this: It is critical the new program’s design and policy guidelines work towards universal accessibility of outdoor dining, inclusive of mobility, visual, hearing, and cognitive diversity. To do this the City should:
- Cultivate a practice of continuous evaluating, learning and refinement, led by the first-hand experiences of ADA advocates and users. Connect this evaluation to community engagement and partnerships outlined elsewhere.
Identify and include universal accessibility design components into the Kit-of-Parts that support the needs for people with disabilities. For example, advocates have noted that platforms flush with the curb can create better accessibility and should be required for roadway setups.
Accessibility guidelines should be socialized through ADA training sessions that are open to the public and required for merchants, city staff, and community boards. With proper training, merchants could identify and flag accessibility issues within their spaces and community boards could help rectify issues directly with operators before submitting violations.
Require Open Restaurants and Open Streets to be fully accessible. Do not allow that extra outdoor seating to count towards an establishment’s base requirements for interior space. If universal inclusivity is not feasible, the City should work with advocates on proper signage to designate levels of accessibility. For example, indicating if an Open Restaurant also has an ADA compliant bathroom or only a few accessible tables. Accessibility levels should be used on an up-to-date Restaurant Access Program (RAP).
Promote and elevate innovations that can come from universal accessibility, such as shared accessible restrooms, digital menus with audio and adjustable font, and option for a reservation system that can communicate accessibility needs.
Recommendation Eleven
Ample Sidewalks
Where needed, the City should extend curbs to create “Ample Sidewalks,” able to support sidewalk cafes, pedestrian mobility, and activations of the public realm.
![Rec 11 Sidewalk Extension 01](https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/300/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-11_Sidewalk-Extension-01.jpg?bossToken=4dfcb8c4f9cab11e01a2428b29a8c5c167115164a7a20db6e7ad95abbb5361e2 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/600/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-11_Sidewalk-Extension-01.jpg?bossToken=b4441aa8cb8e79cdee97b327809cf499b63998a8e52091fa2aa6c9c5d89235ad 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/900/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-11_Sidewalk-Extension-01.jpg?bossToken=d86d529e453abab8548811b35d9de82187f9aeeffaf8d8bfbc035c18e60b7d98 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1200/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-11_Sidewalk-Extension-01.jpg?bossToken=1023f6e0b0e2ef68a2acf1cd396aa573bea1d3838bc610ba4e381cb01092741c 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1500/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-11_Sidewalk-Extension-01.jpg?bossToken=dadf3c2cf66c21cc4cd34035088fc6ed55bdaa8ddfe643fe01d9188359cf6c44 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1800/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-11_Sidewalk-Extension-01.jpg?bossToken=4952b1367ddf578335ea5a821a34986115ba1ddb4e47be6c31cb8196c4b48c6a 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2100/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-11_Sidewalk-Extension-01.jpg?bossToken=439074a8ee809d042b43007a14fea5bc071ac442d0181ce6e3ca4fe1d77e4637 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2400/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-11_Sidewalk-Extension-01.jpg?bossToken=d7192ff4a530fbde18dd8c44206d5bbd5bf99a4ae6faab804c50de528330d989 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2700/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-11_Sidewalk-Extension-01.jpg?bossToken=3c3008ed94abf687ff251624f3e22e2fb8af72dda86c5f6e33e66a86ff26e15f 1543w)
The city of San Diego’s active sidewalks program creates additional pedestrian space on narrow sidewalks for active uses. Image: City of San Diego Spaces as Places Design Manual
At issue: As revealed by Sidewalk Widths NYC report, over half of NYC’s sidewalks are less than 9-feet wide, challenging pedestrian transit and urban life, especially for people with disabilities. Many of the challenges faced by Open Restaurants’ arose because of this condition, especially as people waiting, delivery vehicles, bike racks, garbage and other obstructions further constricted sidewalks. Narrow sidewalks limit restaurants’ eligibility for Sidewalk Cafes, making roadway dining appealing in many parts of the City. Unsurprisingly, narrow sidewalks are not equally distributed across the City; in Lower Manhattan 20% of the sidewalks are too narrow for a Sidewalk Cafe; in Forest Hills, that percentage is over 60%.
How to address this: The City is thinking about sidewalk width and pedestrian mobility in a number of ways, from new plazas to widening sidewalks on key streets, and even limiting cars on select thoroughfares. Open Restaurants should be seen as another opportunity to widen sidewalks or otherwise improve pedestrian mobility, especially in areas outside of Manhattan. To do so, the City should:
Find opportunities to decongest existing sidewalks. Clearance requirements on paper do not take into account the number of obstructions - bike racks, signage, delivery vehicles, garbage, City infrastructure, etc. - that limits pedestrian flow. In the short-term, pilot opportunities to move obstructions into the curb lane to clear up sidewalks.
Identify streets in need of curb extensions through data and community feedback on desired local pedestrian routes. This list should identify opportunity areas and promote active discussion amongst stakeholders.
Based on the street typology and other local concerns, streets that have an expressed need for a curb extension and can accept such an improvement should be identified for capital improvement. Intermediary improvements can be delivered, including shared street amenities, traffic barriers and calming devices, and Open Streets. These techniques can be seen as pilots for longer term capital improvement.
In every case, the City should prioritize moving the “sidewalk”, not the activity, into the portion of right-of-way formerly devoted to vehicular uses. For Open Restaurants, this would expand Sidewalk Cafes. This would incentivize smaller merchant builds, thus reducing costs to the business, and insulating diners from moving traffic, an inherently dangerous position. Restaurants would have the advantage of accessing customers easily without navigating or disturbing other pedestrian or traffic flows. The City would have the advantage of easier street cleaning or roadway work, preserving transit and loading needs, and creating clear distinctions among the various activity “lanes” competing in the right-of-way.
Recommendation Twelve
Democratize the Parking Lane
Create a process for the public to turn parking spots into “Community Parklets” and receive support to bring additional amenities to the right-of-way when other options — such as Open Streets, Plazas, or Block Parties — are unable to be implemented.
![Rec 12 street seats orchard broome](https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/300/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-12_street-seats-orchard-broome.jpeg?bossToken=0cde8d6e9baa3b4b52f8afb9e6d5769ab467d1475791f6b43b4558a103307870 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/600/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-12_street-seats-orchard-broome.jpeg?bossToken=07bcc904e80c85fbf0a775866e5d8cf378a1e809500256b288614e55954336e4 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/900/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-12_street-seats-orchard-broome.jpeg?bossToken=9fd58899fc097b7a2999b334bf88e12c93ed8ef8bc0a4bb1c98eb9dc527c66e1 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1200/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-12_street-seats-orchard-broome.jpeg?bossToken=2a3fd480b0847ed5f8402251facbcb6cbf228fb25e5bec2b3b46cf6937e47c23 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1500/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-12_street-seats-orchard-broome.jpeg?bossToken=b5b62ec61452e9689930f9d3a4a69d0afe87374ae6d9f92b714e2ab729f1b191 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1800/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-12_street-seats-orchard-broome.jpeg?bossToken=869e7f1c8a05b139e086be226edc354cc7640d15bae47ccb5c832ea0cde2b7f7 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2100/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-12_street-seats-orchard-broome.jpeg?bossToken=0b1ff1b3d149cb4f381e4769bf163be5119e636993181cc1058ca4d2f625e6f1 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2400/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-12_street-seats-orchard-broome.jpeg?bossToken=eddc6c9857181e1188593e29fff071fc870b7c63c948613b77539ce32a338e7e 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2700/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Rec-12_street-seats-orchard-broome.jpeg?bossToken=065231f1311dadef74a9bf46cdecb658178e42bef2e21d2148d32b6fa04998d7 1543w)
Furniture and public amenities should be moved off of the sidewalks and into the right-of-way, allowing access and not impeding pedestrian mobility. Image: NYC DOT
At issue: In addition to outdoor dining, many establishments leveraged the Open Restaurants program to create community hubs that weren’t able to operate through other previous programs. However, distinctions under the current Open Restaurant program prevent other institutions from implementing community-focused designs that could reflect the diversity of needs and uses, such as for library services, fitness classes, places to relax, or for COVID testing. For example, the outdoor dining structure of Boogie Down Grind in Hunts Point is also used for local art exhibitions and cultural events. Underserved neighborhoods should not lose a new opportunity to rebalance unequal access to spaces and services.
How to address this: A “Community Parklet” program should be implemented that enables merchants or organized groups to tap into the Open Restaurant program and its legal infrastructure, giving new mixed-use space to programs that benefit their communities.
Create a “Community Parklet” program that enables anyone wishing to bring public space programming to the right-of-way an option to do so in coordination with, or independent of, existing programs. For example, if parents want to bring a Street Lab pop-up to their community for a weekend, they should have a process for doing so without needing to establish a formal Open Street.
The program should evolve to prioritize mixed-use opportunities in the curb lane that provide a mix of public seating with some private uses. Whether a non-profit wants space for delivering services or a library wants to provide a mobile option during the warm months, the right-of-way should not be limited to restaurants.
Use successful Community Parklets to pilot permanent right-of-way transformations similar to how the NYC Plaza Program tests out the space before undertaking capital improvements.
Streets with a concentration of Open Restaurants should consider developing thresholds for installing bollards and public seating to create communal public spaces and reduce privatization of the right-of-way.
Furniture and amenities in the right-of-way should be required to remain open for public use on a first-come, first-serve basis. This would also encourage groups and merchants to work together in sourcing furniture and sharing the responsibility for maintenance and operations. Incentives like reduced fees, expedited review, or year-round seating should be offered in exchange for new community amenities.
![Alfresco Marc Wouters Studios p16](https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/300/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Alfresco-Marc-Wouters-Studios-p16.jpg?bossToken=8d1e7eeb761397f4e8e7e19e0148892b7fcefe6175c471b64fe5f9dedbc192ed 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/600/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Alfresco-Marc-Wouters-Studios-p16.jpg?bossToken=cad1d6fc92de511709cdbfeeba182626f1a6a6c0b7bbd5a00d5d8df4db820835 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/900/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Alfresco-Marc-Wouters-Studios-p16.jpg?bossToken=993e1461ea2621899d38b6a8087bd4cd03b46b2f2d6a3ee1da8236c7dbf5e8c3 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1200/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Alfresco-Marc-Wouters-Studios-p16.jpg?bossToken=ccccfbcd4866f8d9a529ea760752f4437e444b7c967dc864778a559d1a631717 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1500/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Alfresco-Marc-Wouters-Studios-p16.jpg?bossToken=f1e6ddb3730fa53b09ab85a15b810580bd9dc6d6a2b03899207feec834abf648 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1800/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Alfresco-Marc-Wouters-Studios-p16.jpg?bossToken=6e2933921365a7d2138cefed05267850171dd484a92372c0a9afb6d2f8cc1538 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2100/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Alfresco-Marc-Wouters-Studios-p16.jpg?bossToken=89c5fefd9455612662d28128cdfe813ae806a89f0cb1e43e6ebf6f26e3a97c88 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2400/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Alfresco-Marc-Wouters-Studios-p16.jpg?bossToken=36dbef1428d5ef02416b9408d13660185a68d811c7148455a0875b610fe09d4b 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2700/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Alfresco-Marc-Wouters-Studios-p16.jpg?bossToken=52cc3015c2573ebef16d1aa2b8808d5ed241b1d0ff4af33abd3981007ec0445f 1543w)
Proposal to redesign parking lanes on Smith Street, Brooklyn. Image: Marc Wouters Studio Outdoor Dining
This report is the culmination of our coalition work starting in February 2021. Alfresco NYC has been led by three non-profits: the Design Trust for Public Space, Regional Plan Association, and Tri-State Transportation Campaign. To strengthen the coalition, Alfresco NYC also selected a diverse Steering Committee to inform our work and provide support.
To inform the recommendations, we collected first-hand information from a range of viewpoints during different program stages. We developed various data collection tools and hosted or supported crowd-sourced competitions. We purposefully aimed to reach historically under-resourced neighborhoods and Open Restaurant corridors with different levels of success.
One-time crowd-source competitions:
- Alfresco Awards in 2021 celebrated exemplary solutions for outdoor dining and recreation.
Received over 150 submissions from all boroughs
Jury selected thirteen winners highlighting sustainability, creativity, or neighborhood integration
Focus on ADA accessibility
- AIANY Open Restaurants Innovation - In 2022 our partners at the American Institute of Architects New York collaborated with Alfresco NYC, NYCxDESIGN’s Design Corps, Design Advocates and others to organize a design competition and series of workshops to understand best practices for outdoor dining
Received submissions from designers across the City
Developed three working groups to investigate ideas for the permanent program
Created prototypes to encourage a variety of performance-based goals including accessibility, sustainability and community
- One-time Grant Program in 2022 supported businesses and community groups that were struggling to participate in the outdoor dining program.
Received applications from over 200 businesses in neighborhoods classified as hardest hit by COVID-19.
Applications identified ongoing challenges for program participation
Learned ways in which local businesses and organized groups were helping to address challenges like public safety, youth employment and food insecurity.
Research tools used throughout the project duration:
Semi-structured interviews - Interviewed over 30 groups and individuals including Business Improvement Districts, neighborhood groups, Open Streets volunteers, consulting firms, accessibility advocates, academics, and pro-bono design groups.
Site surveys - focused on six corridors with a concentration of Open Restaurants according to NYC Open Restaurants Data. We identified three corridors recognized as successful –30th Avenue in Ditmars, Queens (TimeOut, May 2021); Arthur Avenue in Belmont, the Bronx (6sqft, July 2021); and Austin St in Forest Hills, Queens (Yelp)—and three less-successful corridors based on previous visits and word-of-mouth –5th Avenue in Sunset Park, Brooklyn; E105 St in East Harlem, Manhattan; and Morris Park Ave in Morris Park, Bronx. Site selection prioritized boroughs with low program participation and medium to high labor force vulnerability (RPA, March 2021).
Press analysis - analyzed nine months of related media coverage, from November 2021 to July 2022. The coverage captures several key moments and includes commentary from community members, business owners, elected officials and advocates. Commentaries were valued as positive (green), negative (orange), or neutral (yellow) and then classified in four categories: quality of life, mobility and accessibility, crisis recovery, and equity.
![Screen Shot 2022 11 01 at 3 49 58 PM](https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/300/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Screen-Shot-2022-11-01-at-3.49.58-PM.png?bossToken=55daf90c988141a873a943dd564091cc9cc14960b5fa8f4fd5d73d74b34824e7 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/600/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Screen-Shot-2022-11-01-at-3.49.58-PM.png?bossToken=619937671baa2d4157ef41c040f9c75e208a66cdbf0a52877f2c6989c1d740af 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/900/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Screen-Shot-2022-11-01-at-3.49.58-PM.png?bossToken=f854650e32a1360d37ccda2ce2c0307fc417509de842033ee0b1c72d9b06e751 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1200/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Screen-Shot-2022-11-01-at-3.49.58-PM.png?bossToken=9bbc0a08dfc3f64e0a3ff8e142f0316ade4b582891e6f79c6786eb8bb1954b62 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1500/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Screen-Shot-2022-11-01-at-3.49.58-PM.png?bossToken=f1ef91f593210e4078491cfd4a3aab9d09ca8b52df426ea2c3d0d1f58e90aed5 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/1800/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Screen-Shot-2022-11-01-at-3.49.58-PM.png?bossToken=48fc743535f2219d18e309f36dfee41244a9b82196ef761c85a7fb855707e4f2 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2100/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Screen-Shot-2022-11-01-at-3.49.58-PM.png?bossToken=72a4d7f6b92ec471fb1cc65dcc183062f5ccf7958463fcfdb3056ab5094db822 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2400/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Screen-Shot-2022-11-01-at-3.49.58-PM.png?bossToken=2743362167b8bdd4b076ef47acb762d9cc0ca368030e6e259aaf6a99bbd8e90b 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/width/2700/quality:80/work/Campaigns/Alfresco-2022/Screen-Shot-2022-11-01-at-3.49.58-PM.png?bossToken=70b54c86fe3dd2971ca9d349c72f2209f71460ec89797a19383f9e3a96fb6107 1543w)
Alfresco NYC’s outdoor dining press analysis from November 2021 to July 2022
Roundtables - hosted four roundtables with invited stakeholders addressing main challenges for permanent Open Restaurants: volunteer capacity, accessibility for all, street integration, and process improvements.
Lastly, the Alfresco Recommendations received stakeholder feedback from people and organizations that participated in at least one of the seven research tools. Their feedback was integrated into this final version.
Supporting Open Restaurants
Supporting Open Streets
Alfresco NYC is run collaboratively by Design Trust for Public Space, Region Plan Association, and Tri-State Transportation Campaign.
![Alfresco Logo 03](https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/300x300/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/work/Reports/2021-reports/Open-Streets-Ahead/AlfrescoLogo_-03.png?bossToken=a59eabe177f7fb51144935723d36d04dcd16958b192438b52dc594a97eec7ad6 171w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/600x600/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/work/Reports/2021-reports/Open-Streets-Ahead/AlfrescoLogo_-03.png?bossToken=a5582cdfddeda670e9411263b794d15fe674e6cb4fcaa2a4b0fb57f29c1349ed 343w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/900x900/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/work/Reports/2021-reports/Open-Streets-Ahead/AlfrescoLogo_-03.png?bossToken=f48bc02ec27db5cf76d8c60cb40f174293b2e24b98ebe3efbeab486f3bc63d57 514w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1200x1200/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/work/Reports/2021-reports/Open-Streets-Ahead/AlfrescoLogo_-03.png?bossToken=1cd0a81a5687ceefcf047eafec09ae8dff18687623d0bdae6dc9f7bd5b5d906b 686w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1500x1500/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/work/Reports/2021-reports/Open-Streets-Ahead/AlfrescoLogo_-03.png?bossToken=21f061d27c2aad1c30d1774c68ac999be22b5086227dde0ec5d3ff6e737001a9 857w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/1800x1800/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/work/Reports/2021-reports/Open-Streets-Ahead/AlfrescoLogo_-03.png?bossToken=a6be6f79f149e67e35e4d078034fac1da41efd7798e01080ed04953473994caa 1029w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2100x2100/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/work/Reports/2021-reports/Open-Streets-Ahead/AlfrescoLogo_-03.png?bossToken=1de45f235137493658e336a0bff624e60ce40fcff96a598595ceb09e01946bcb 1200w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2400x2400/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/work/Reports/2021-reports/Open-Streets-Ahead/AlfrescoLogo_-03.png?bossToken=f2533d3f1b6d03068db1db33d7a33a24e02b1700acdcdac89541be443e870b82 1371w, https://img.imageboss.me/general/cover/2700x2700/fp-x:0.5,fp-y:0.5,quality:80/work/Reports/2021-reports/Open-Streets-Ahead/AlfrescoLogo_-03.png?bossToken=227318abc762bed7d9e0f665129b5adaf2642e77601a24c97c42ec84acf3380a 1543w)
This work would not have been possible without the collaboration of the diverse range of stakeholders interested in improving the public realm including restaurant owners, designers, volunteers, open street operators, city staff, scholars, and accessibility advocates.
Alfresco NYC would like to thank the following people and groups for their knowledge, time, and insights:
- 34th Avenue Open Street - Jim Burke - Co-Founder
- A+A+A & Assembly for Chinatown - Andrea Chiney, Arianna Deane, Ashely Kuo - Principals
- AIA New York - Joseph Corbin - Assistant Director
- AIA New York’s Open Restaurants Innovation Program* (See below for full list of participants)
- Alfresco Award Winners and Grant Winners
- Astoria 31st Ave Open Street - John Surico - Reporter, Open Street Volunteer
- Bloomberg Associates - Janette Sadik-Khan - Former Commissioner of the NYC Department of Transportation
- Boogie Down Grind - Majora Carter - Founder
- Center for Zero Waste Design - Clare Miflin - Executive Director
- Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies - Katie Schwab - Co-Chair, New York Practice
- Disabled in Action - Jean Ryan - Vice President for Public Affairs
- DUMBO BID - Alexandria Sica - Executive Director
- Marc Wouters Studios - Marc Wouters - Principal
- MCKA & Design Advocates - Michael K Chen - Principal
- Meatpacking District BID - Evan Sweet - Meatpacking District BID
- NYC Hospitality Alliance - Andrew Rigie - Executive Director
- NYC Office of the Mayor - Ya-Ting Liu - Chief Strategy Officer, Deputy Mayor for Operations
- NYCDCP
- Eric Gregory - Chief Urban Designer & Director of Urban Design
- Carolyn Grossman Meagher - Director of Regional Planning
- Crystal Eksi - Senior Urban Designer
- NYCDOT
- Julie Schipper - Former Director of Open Restaurant Program
- Edmund Asiedu - Accessibility Policy Analyst
- Kyle Gorman - Senior Program Manager
- Emily Weindenhof - Director of Public Space
- NYCMOPD - Philip Monaco - Executive Director of Accessibility
- NYCSBS - Rosanne Martino - Director of Strategy & Initiatives
- NYLPI - Eman Rimawi-Doster - Access-A-Ride Campaign Coordinator and Organizer
- Oonee - Shabazz Stuart - Chief Executive Officer
- Office of the Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso
- Office of the Queens Borough President Donovan Richards
- Piazza Di Belmont - Alyssa Tucker - Executive Director
- Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council - Gib Veconi - Chair
- Re-ply - Nick Flutter, Nikita Notowidigdo - ArchitectsSoluri Architecture & Design Corps - Andre Soluri - Principal
- Sunset Park BID - David Estrada - Executive Director
- The Horticultural Society of New York - Sara Hobel - Executive Director
- Think!Chinatown - Yin Kong - Co-Founder & Director
- Tompkins Avenue Merchants Association - Oma Holloway - Chief Operating Officer
- Urban Design Forum - Martha Snow - Associate Director of Programs
- Welcome to Chinatown - Victoria Lee - Co-Founder
- WXY - Claire Weisz - Principal
Special Thanks to AIA New York's Open Restaurants Innovation Program
- Organizers: Joseph Corbin, Lead; Michael Chen, AIA; Andre Soluri, AIA; Alfresco NYC
- Selection Committee: Susan Chin, FAIA, Hon. ASLA; Erick Gregory, LEED AP; Samara Karasyk; Andrew Rigie; Eman Rimawi-Doster; John Surico
- Re-ply Team: Nick Flutter, Team Lead; Nikita Notowidigdo, Team Lead; Matthew Anderson; Jacob Reidel, Assoc. AIA; Camila Stadler; Jenny Tobias
- Community Design Team: Andre Soluri, AIA, Team Lead; Jerome Haferd; Jerome Haferd; Yumiko Matsubara, AIA; Jean Ryan
- FoldUP NYC Team: Victoria Benatar, AIA, ASID, LEED, Team Lead; Michelle Cianfaglione, AIA, NCARB, Team Lead; Julia Andor, AIAS; German Bahamon; Umay Gunes Kurtulan, Assoc AIA; Come Menage, AIA, NCARB, CPHD; Brian J Pape, AIA; Julia Andor, AIAS; German Bahamon; Umay Gunes Kurtulan, Assoc AIA; Come Menage, AIA, NCARB, CPHD; Brian J Pape, AIA
- Submitters: Matthew Anderson; Zachary Caplette; Michelle Cianfaglione; Karolina Czeczek; Matthew Davis; Koray Duman; Samantha Gettis; Jerome Haferd; Wes Hiatt; Tyler Hollinger; Charlotta Janssen; Aresh Javadi; Yumiko Matsubara; Come Menage; Jessica Merritt; Sophie Nichols; Nikita Notowidigdo; Ravina Puri; Mark Rhoads; Caitlin Riddell; Philip Ryan; Alejandro Saldarriaga; Lionel Scharly; Leni Schwendinger; Drew Seskunas; Bradley Silling; Camila Stadler Buschle; Elizabeth Timme; Jennifer Tobias; Liyang Wang; Maier Yagod; Ritchie Yao
- Additional Workshop Contributors: Javadi Aresh; Iyabo Babatunde; Carina; Neil Gagliardi; Hatuey; Matt and Stephan; Victoria Milne; Mallory Ortman; Giulia Pierotti; Adam Roberts; Ricardo Rodriguez; Tanvi Sainvil; Mike Scheinsburg; Erik Verboon; Cheryl Wing-Zi Wong
AlfrescoNYC Steering Committee
Justin Davidson; Danny Harris; Samara Karasyk; Nicholas Mosquera; Andrew Rigie ; Eman Rimawi-Doster; Janette Sadik-Khan; Katie Schwab; Shabazz Stuart; Diana Tsui; Jonathan Waxman; Claire Weisz; Andy Wiley-Schwartz; Michelle Young
The project is generously supported by The New York Community Trust, M&T Bank, and Association for a Better New York.
Report Authors
Matthew Clarke - Executive Director - Design Trust for Public Space
Elana Ehrenberg - Senior Policy Manager - Design Trust for Public Space
Akemi Sato - Senior Urban Planner and Designer - Design Trust for Public Space
Catherine Betances - Equitable Public Space Fellow - Design Trust for Public Space
Kate Slevin - Executive Director - Regional Plan Association
Maulin Mehta - New York Director - Regional Plan Association
Dave Zackin - Creative Director - Regional Plan Association
Renae Reynolds - Executive Director - Tri-State Transportation Campaign
Darwin Keung - Research and Policy Manager - Tri-State Transportation Campaign
Sonia Szczesna - Active Transportation Director - Tri-State Transportation Campaign