Pilot Parklet Initiative
We are proud to announce the official debut of our pilot parklet program! Our program is a collaborative effort between the Vancouver’s Downtown Association, LSW Architects, Riff Creative, and FrontdoorBack, Retail Design & Visual Merchandising. Parklets are an urban planning technique in which street parking is turned into outdoor seating areas.
Our pilot program was conceived as a creative solution to support our downtown eateries as we enter Phase 2 of reopening. In Phase 2, Vancouver restaurants, coffee shops, and bars are able to host dine-in service, but only at 50% capacity for table seating. These outdoor seating areas will help mitigate the impacts of the 50% occupancy constraint that restaurants face during Washington’s phased reopening. Allowing patrons to sit outside in an open air environment that allows for socially distancing is a unique solution to an unprecedented situation. Our pilot program consists of two locations (pictured: The Mighty Bowl during their 6/9/20 reopening to the public).
Our pilot parklets are being permitted through the City of Vancouver’s Street Eats Program which allows a food service establishment to temporarily locate chairs and tables along sidewalks, in on-street parking areas and in private parking lots in accordance with design guidelines and requirements. If you would like to apply for a Street Eats permit to expand your outdoor seating, please contact [email protected]. For assistance with designing your Street Eats area in Downtown or Uptown Village, including plans, budget and implementation information to replicate the ones currently under construction, please contact [email protected].
