Baltimore Wants Permanent Parklets
Diners eating at a Baltimore parklet. (Source: Flickr/Elvert Barnes.)
Initially constructed to sustain patronage during indoor dining restrictions, Baltimore’s outdoor dining “parklets” might become a permanent fixture in the city. The Baltimore City Department of Transportation (BCDOT) began drafting a formal outdoor dining policy in June of last year, citing the popularity of the parklets. By October, BCDOT opened up a 30-day period for public input. During that period, BCDOT shared that “more than 85 percent of all comments expressed support for making curbside parklets a permanent program,” adding, “many [thought] it brought vibrancy and liveliness to the streets of Baltimore.”
The positive response aligns with a general trend; cities like Alexandria, Portland, and Philadelphia have likewise made moves to permanently swap parking for patios. A 2022 study on curbside dining in Toronto even concluded that the city’s curbside dining generated 49 times more money than the parking it supplanted.
“This is an example of how productive a place can be when we don’t fixate on parking,” said Strong Towns Senior Editor Daniel Herriges in response to those findings.
“The purpose of the street is to be a destination, to be a place people want to be. That’s not to say nobody needs to park a car, but very often, using that scarce curb space to help create an inviting destination is going to blow using it for parking out of the water, in terms of value created,” Herriges added.
The Baltimore City proposal is currently undergoing a second round of public comment and the finalized policy will take shape beginning July 1, 2023. Until then, BCDOT is extending existing temporary permits related to outdoor dining parklets through June 30, 2023.
Asia (pronounced “ah-sha”) Mieleszko serves as a Staff Writer for Strong Towns. A dilettante urbanist since adolescence, she's excited to convert a lifetime of ad-hoc volunteerism into a career. Her unconventional background includes directing a Ukrainian folk choir, pioneering synaesthetic performances, photographing festivals, designing websites, teaching, and ghostwriting. She can be found wherever Wi-Fi is reliable, typically along Amtrak's Northeast Corridor.