Community Adaptation Strategies
Much like everything else in 2020, winter this year will be different. With social distancing guidelines and COVID-19 mitigation measures in full effect, the cold weather is bringing challenges that our local businesses, commercial centers, restaurants and downtowns have never seen before. While the cold weather can limit enthusiasm in any given year, it’s especially important to be supportive and creative this year. Now is the time to re-think our relationship with winter and embrace solutions that can be enacted to combat unpleasant conditions.
This newsletter explores what communities throughout southeast Michigan and beyond are doing to meet safety protocols and adapt to the unique circumstances we are all faced with. It is important to keep in mind that while some of these ideas involve capital and intellectual investment in the short term, these ideas can and should be carried forward beyond this pandemic-challenged winter.
Adapting to Changing Lifestyles
Throughout 2020, many of us have seen changes to our daily and weekly routines. While many changes were disruptive and challenging, one positive change is the amount of time people are spending outside participating in a variety of outdoor recreational activities. Many industries like cycling, golf, paddling and camping saw record sales as people explored safe outdoor activities. Recognizing that these activities are seasonal and that some may choose to ‘pack it in’ for the winter, this is where local recreation departments can fill a need by programming their parks as four season playgrounds for all ages. While ice rinks and sledding hills are traditional winter activities that are still viable, those resources and infrastructure are not always readily available or affordable.
Other low cost, short-term measures can be taken to provide opportunities. Activities such as snowshoeing and cross country skiing can be accommodated by designating trails and areas for these activities within local parks and trail systems. Many communities do not plow park trails in the winter, meaning utilization of an existing network is just a snowfall away.
‘There is no bad weather, only bad clothing!’
Winter IS a Special Event. The closure of streets, often only associated with festivals and special events, has become more commonplace throughout the pandemic. So why not think of winter as a special event? The instant demand for space to safely accommodate outdoor dining and shopping this year ‘forced’ many cities to reimagine the public space within their downtowns and how the right-of-way could be put to the highest and best use. In many cases, this meant closing a street or block to provide more space for pedestrians. As winter months have arrived and outdoor dining is less comfortable, we must challenge ourselves to embrace winter rather than hibernate and wait for spring. One community that has taken to this concept is Northville, where their DDA was encouraged by a local business owner to launch “Heat in the Street,” an initiative to bring people downtown and promote safe social interaction by providing heated spaces for people to gather while maintaining their physical distance. The ongoing event will see the main street downtown closed on weekends through March 1, another step toward embracing winter as a special event.
Restaurants, like Detroit Fleat pictured above, have found creative ways, such as the use of temporary dining bubbles, to extend the outdoor dining season by providing shelter from the elements while maintaining safe physical distancing.
Streamlining Permitting. Many municipalities saw an increase in use of the public realm over the summer, particularly in the use of public spaces and sidewalks to accommodate additional seating for restaurants or the spacing of goods for retail. The increased demand, and urgency required to accommodate an influx of requests, highlighted in many places challenges that the regulatory process poses. Unclear and inconsistent regulations often lead to unnecessary delays in the permitting process. One way to avoid these delays is to review zoning and regulatory codes to ensure the standards for outdoor dining are consistent. Providing clear parking, capacity, spacing and sidewalk clearance standards can allow for many permits to be reviewed and issued administratively with little delay, which can shorten the process from weeks to days.
Cadillac Square in Downtown Detroit provides opportunities to enjoy the winter weather.
Rethinking Outdoor Spaces. In addition to providing seating for outdoor dining or shopping on sidewalks, there are several often-overlooked areas in commercial districts and downtowns that can be activated to create a sense of place or provide shelter from the elements. Some municipalities have taken steps to identify and market empty storefronts, vacant lots, unused driveways, and wide sidewalks for land swaps that can accommodate popups and other social infrastructure. This may include providing a clear set of design guidelines for winterized outdoor spaces that restaurants and other retailers could utilize, or even partnering with local business to provide materials or installation of temporary structures on public property that can be beneficial to surrounding businesses. The AARP is urging communities to address the challenges faced by aging adults during the pandemic. Aging adults are most at risk for illness and isolation and are not widely connected through technology.
Promotion and Organization. The City of Ferndale’s DDA took a slightly different approach and utilized social media to launch and promote the website Unbox the Holidays to provide a central location for shopping and dining resources and information in its downtown. The website features a full business registry to shop locally online, including a list of restaurants currently offering takeout and delivery, universal gift cards and a map of curbside pickup locations to avoid traffic congestion.
Giffels Webster News
Congratulations to Rod
Congratulations to Rod Arroyo on being elected Secretary of the Giffels Webster Board of Directors. Also, at their annual fall conference, the Michigan Association of Planning recognized and congratulated Rod on his 40 years as a member!
Welcome Eric Pietsch & Stephanie Osborn
Say hello to the newest members of our team, Senior Planner Eric Pietsch and Staff Planner Stephanie Osborn.
Eric joins our team after 11 years with the City of Houston, Texas Planning and Development Department. Eric is also a Wayne State Planning Alumnus.
Stephanie has Bachelor of Science degrees in Sustainable Business and Biology, a Master of Public Health degree from Wayne State, and she will be completing her Master of Urban Planning degree from Wayne State in May 2021.
Top Workplace
We’re very excited to announce our 4th consecutive Top Workplaces Award from the Detroit Free Press! Our people have truly made the difference. Know more here
2020 Map Presentation
Our own Rod Arroyo, Jill Bahm and Eric Fazzini discuss how communities can rethink the relationship between the built environment and the personal automobile. View the presentation
Giffels Webster has been dedicated to making communities better for over 65 years, specializing in community planning, civil engineering, landscape architecture, Geographic Information Systems, traffic engineering, and surveying.
For more information, please call Giffels Webster at 866.271.9663 and visit www.giffelswebster.com.
