New York City's outdoor dining scene is experiencing a reversion to more affluent neighborhoods in Manhattan and Brooklyn as the pandemic-era program comes to an end. The City Council's regulations have led to a sharp decline in outdoor structures in Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island, reflecting socioeconomic disparities in access to such amenities. While sidewalk cafés remain available, the city's return to favoring parking spaces over outdoor dining reflects a missed opportunity for equitable urban planning. Activists argue for better allocation of public space to benefit more neighborhoods.
The return of outdoor dining structures to wealthy neighborhoods in Manhattan and Brooklyn highlights the socioeconomic disparities in NYC, as fewer permits are granted in less affluent areas.
Despite the end of the pandemic-era dining program, which enhanced outdoor seating across the city, recent rules have reverted spaces mostly to affluent neighborhoods, leaving others underrepresented.
The new rules from the City Council limiting outdoor dining lead to a reallocation of urban space back to vehicle storage, negating one of the pandemic's few positive developments.
Activists criticize the city's decision to retain a significant number of parking spaces instead of converting parts to improve pedestrian areas and outdoor dining access.
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