Author: Alan Pullman, AIA, Founding Principal, Studio One Eleven and Shannon Heffernan, AICP, Urban Design Director/Senior Associate, Studio One Eleven

Alan Pullman, AIA, Founding Principal, Studio One Eleven and Shannon Heffernan, AICP, Urban Design Director/Senior Associate, Studio One Eleven, discuss safely reopening and attracting people to Main Street, “Bringing people back downtown and to shopping streets will require confidence that the health crisis is abating, and a future outbreak will be minimized. States are now starting to re-open retail, and California Governor Gavin Newsom announced this week that California is moving to Phase Two of the State’s re-opening strategy, which includes some retail stores, with restrictions. A vaccine is perhaps many months (or even years) away, and widespread testing infeasible in the near future. Cities and communities will need to adjust public space to allow customers back in with distancing in mind. Restaurants present an opportunity that already has many indicators of success: repurpose sidewalks, street-side parking, and parking lots into outdoor dining areas.”