Best Practice 2 Resiliency Strategies

Consider temporary or permanent vehicle lane or on-street parking closures

Consider road diets to create more room for pedestrians, outdoor seating, dedicated and expanded bike lanes, etc. Initiate a pilot program.
Treatments to accomplish this, in the short term, may be more temporary in nature and borrow on placemaking tactics.
Street closings can be short or long-term
- Short-term closings – such as closing streets on weekends only with temporary barriers
- Long-term closings – for weeks or months, with semi-permanent barriers to vehicular traffic to increase user sense of comfort
Experimenting with road diet options now will help address immediate concerns, but it could also provide inspiration and direction for longer-term pedestrian-focused and prioritized street and streetscape improvements.
Ann Arbor Healthy Streets: https://www.a2gov.org/departments/engineering/transportation/Pages/Healthy-Streets-Program.aspx
Streets for Pandemic Response & Recovery: https://nacto.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/NACTO_Streets-for-Pandemic-Response-and-Recovery_2020-05-21.pdf
Reclaiming the Right of Way: https://nacto.org/docs/usdg/reclaiming_the_right_of_way_brozen.pdf
Using Downtown Spaces to Respond to COVID-19 https://www.in.gov/ocra/mainstreet/files/Using_Dowtown_Spaces_toRespondto_COVID-19.pdf
Long Beach Business Open Streets Resources: https://www.longbeach.gov/goactivelb/programs/temporary-open-streets/business-open-streets/

Review and update sign ordinance

Relax temporary sign restrictions. Many businesses have found the need to advertise in new and innovative ways – whether it’s a large new banner placed on the front of the building to let people know you are open, or a chair placed in the parking lot with instructions to text upon arrival. Cities should make it clear these types of temporary signs are not illegal right now, and in fact, are encouraged.
Zoning In a Post Covid Word (Part 1): https://www.code-studio.com/zoning-post-covid-world-part/

Reallocate sidewalk space adjacent to restaurants and bars for outdoor seating and sidewalk sales.

Create entertainment districts and downtowns that allow open containers of alcoholic beverages.

Michigan cities, townships and villages can establish “social districts” with commons areas for companies to sell alcoholic drinks through Dec. 31, 2024.
Precedent: City of Toledo Downtown Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA)
LARA Social District Permit Information: https://www.michigan.gov/lara/0,4601,7-154-89334_10570_90824-533429--,00.html
MML Social District Fact Sheet: https://www.mml.org/resources/publications/one_pagers/FS-Social-Districts-Plus.pdf

Enable specific special use permits by administrative approval

Review and reduce your parking requirements

Allow for expanded home-based businesses

Best Practice 2: Zoning