Taking back the streets

Now that some type of physical distancing will probably be the norm until we have a better treatment for COVID-19 or a vaccine, how are we going to all go back to living our lives? One of the best things I think we can do is opening up our streets so that restaurants and shops can keep patrons healthy through physical distancing, while minimizing the economic impact by keeping business open.

I don't think we'll go back to the "normal" we had before. We must make spaces safer for people. I hope local businesses and communities push for street closures so restaurants and shops can set up on the street in open air so people can have the space they need to stay healthy.

— Marisa Morby (@marisamorby) April 23, 2020

We’re starting to see more and more cities realize that this is a good direction to go in.

New York is about to open it’s streets to restaurants

Leave sidewalk space for pedestrians and put restaurant and cafe seating in parking spaces, please. https://t.co/pzi98YVCYN

— Doug Gordon (@BrooklynSpoke) April 28, 2020

Vilnius, Lithuania is doing the same

“Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, has announced plans to turn the city into a vast open-air cafe by giving over much of its public space to hard-hit bar & restaurant owners so they can put their tables outdoors & still observe #physicaldistancing rules.” https://t.co/YPNUikQwZu

— Brent Toderian (@BrentToderian) April 28, 2020

These are both great examples of using restrictions to think creatively to redesign what we’re used to. Steps like this can change our baseline and give us the opportunity to redefine what normal is.

As we keep moving forward into an unkown future we will need to do the work of making the changes that will allow us to work and live together while keeping each other as safe as possible.