Many global cities are expanding outdoor dining, so what makes Chicago's Clark Street an exception

Chicago's ambition to be "Paris on the prairie" - with its waterfront views and sidewalk cafés - has grown over the years. But where the City of Lights and many other global cities have codified and expanded outdoor dining, Chicago has, through compromise, left key decisions to local alderpeople (and local politics). That has led to the potential shutdown this summer of one of the city's most popular outdoor dining areas - Clark Street.

Pandemic fuels street dining

Street dining greatly expanded in global cities during the COVID-19 pandemic to allow restaurants to serve patrons in safer conditions. Their popularity in many cities - especially during the spring and summer months - has allowed such programs to remain and, in some cities, expand, even years after pandemic lockdowns were lifted.

In cities such as Sydney, London, New York, Paris, and Barcelona, for example, local governments have worked to balance public interest and private residents when designing formal outdoor dining programs.

In March 2023, Sydney put forth urban design standards tailored for outdoor dining in both central business districts and residential neighborhoods to allow for the responsible continuation of COVID-era street dining in different locales. These include requirements around clearance space for foot traffic, standards for dining furniture used, and guidelines for limiting excessive noise that could negatively affect residents.

Similarly, London has specified limits on the hours of operation for street dining, alleviating residents' concerns around noise.