Department of City Planning Launches “Placemaking: Parklets” to Assist Restaurants Create On-Street Dining Areas
By Ben Kamber, Management Analyst, Office of Housing and Community Development
Applications For Assistance Accepted Now Through Feb 7, 2021
Across the nation – and throughout the City of Atlanta – the restaurant industry continues to face significant challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many restaurants have looked to outdoor dining to expand seating capacity to protect the safety of employees and customers, and adhere to local, state, and federal health guidelines.
Earlier this month, the City of Atlanta’s Department of Transportation launched a new permit that allows restaurants to create dining areas in the on-street parking spaces immediately outside of their businesses. These on-street dining areas or “parklets” have become popular in many cities, especially for restaurants in downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts with limited space for more traditional outdoor seating areas.
To help restaurants quickly and cost-effectively build parklets dining areas, the City of Atlanta’s Department of City Planning announced a new assistance round for its Placemaking Program – an initiative created in 2017 aimed at re-imagining Atlanta’s public realm for people. The “Placemaking: Parklets” assistance round will provide eligible restaurants with the materials needed to build a parklet dining area in accordance with the new on-street dining permit. These materials will be lent, at no cost to selected restaurants, through the end of 2021 (the duration of the on-street dining permit). Parklets designed to last more than a couple of months typically cost anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000 or more.
To be eligible to receive Placemaking: Parklets assistance, a restaurant must meet the eligibility criteria of the right-of-way, on-street dining permit. The permit requires that parklet seating areas be located within existing on-street parking spaces and on city owned right-of-way (state routes are not eligible). For a full list of permit requirements, restaurants should review the right-of-way on-street dining permit application and design standards document by visiting, bit.ly/outdoordiningpermitatl.
Funding for the Placemaking: Parklets assistance is limited. If eligible applications exceed available funding, priority will be given to establishments that currently have no outdoor dining options and in geographically diverse locations throughout the city to ensure equitable distribution.
For more information about the parklet assistance and to apply visit atlcitydesign.com/parklets. Applications are being accepted through Feb 7, 2021. For questions about the application, please email parklets@atlantaga.gov
“Atlanta’s neighborhood commercial districts are the heart and soul of the city. It is essential that we do everything possible for these districts – and the restaurants that operate within them – to support small businesses during this difficult time”
– Tim Keane, Commissioner of the Department of City Planning.