Get Involved in Shaping the Future of Outdoor Dining

On Monday, November 15, the City Planning Commission voted in favor of the Open Restaurants zoning text amendment that removes restrictions on where sidewalk cafes can be located in New York City – the first step to making Open Restaurants permanent. The new zoning rules, which must still be approved by the New York City Council, will not go into effect until all safety and design guidelines for the permanent program are reviewed by the public and finalized. Alongside rigorous public input, the permanent program will be guided by City Council legislation.

The NYC Departments of Transportation and City Planning are now embarking on a public engagement program for Permanent Open Restaurants, which all current participants are encouraged to get involved in, starting by filling out a public survey. The survey aims to solicit information from all New Yorkers about what they see as the pros and cons of Open Restaurants, and to share their thoughts on how to improve on the program. Public input via the survey will shape the coming design rules.

Click here to take the Open Restaurants survey. The deadline for responses is Friday, December 31.

Photo credit: LSBID Staff