This summer, many Canadians will have a chance to enjoy a cold beverage on one of the new "pop-up patios" that are cropping up on urban parking spaces across the country. In some cities, officials have made it easier for business owners to convert parking spaces into patios, while in other places such as Toronto, business owners face complicated approval processes that can deter them from setting up their own summertime havens on the street.
Peter Mokrycke, was one of eight business owners who participated in Hamilton's three-month pilot program for on-street patios last year. While serving alcohol wasn't allowed under the pilot, deterring some business owners, Mr. Mokrycke, owner of Architect Hair Design, says he was eager to experiment with the new space. Late last summer, he replaced a single parking space in front of his barbershop and bar with a temporary patio.
Adorned with plants and furniture, the 140-square-foot enclosed patio was occasionally used for haircuts. At other times, it served as a hangout spot, with an "Outside Food Welcomed" sign, or as a place to host special events, such as a performance by a barbershop quartet.
Architect Hair Design in Hamilton participated in a three-month program for on-street patios last year, converting one of their front-of-store parking spots into a temporary patio.
Architect Hair Design
"I took it as an opportunity to be creative, to bring our business and what we promote and what we're about outside, onto the street," Mr. Mokrycke says. "People would pass by and see a patio covered with plants and furniture and be like, 'What's going on here?' They'd stop in and see what we're about."
Initially, Mr. Mokrycke heard from neighbours concerned about what his patio would mean for parking in the area. "That's normal for anything that's new. Once this thing was tangible, there was nothing but positive feedback," he says.
This March, Hamilton's city council made the on-street patio program permanent; now local businesses can establish temporary patios in parking spaces from May 1 to Oct. 31, and serving alcohol is allowed. The process is inexpensive and simple, says Jason Thorne, general manager of planning and economic development at the City of Hamilton.
In Ottawa, under the city's Streetside Spots pilot project, four parklets and seven private patios were constructed in parking spaces last summer. Parklets are considered public spaces and are not intended for commercial activities, such as table service.
The Streetside Spots program, now permanent, runs from April 1 to Oct. 31. Linda Carkner, a program manager for the City of Ottawa, says the program gives businesses and community organizations new opportunities, while the public benefits from having a little "oasis in the city."
"How can we make our city more interesting and inviting? It is really looking for those alternative ways that businesses can utilize that public space in a positive way that people enjoy," Ms. Carkner says.
The trend has also hit Calgary, which has three pop-up patios, as well as Vancouver, where several local businesses are working with VIVA Vancouver, a city program transforming road spaces into vibrant pedestrian spaces, to install patio spaces this summer as part of a three-year pilot study.
Covered in plants and furniture, Architect Hair Design’s pop-up patio was an instant hit with passers-by.
Architect Hair Design
In Toronto, a business that wants to set up a pop-up patio still faces a convoluted process. Businesses must work with their Business Improvement Area, ward councillor, Toronto Parking Authority and city staff to request and receive permission from community council, through an exemption to the bylaws.
Parklet pilot projects have been completed on Elm Street, John Street and Church Street. This summer, the Downtown Yonge BIA and Ryerson University are partnering on a new design for the Elm Street parklet pilot project. Another pilot project, now in the design phase, is under way for several Toronto parklet cafés on Temperance Street, just west of Bay Street.
The approval process could become easier. Toronto's municipal licensing and standards division and transportation services division are leading a review of bylaws and design guidelines governing sidewalk cafés on the public right-of-way, with a report expected to city council late this year.
In some cities, business owners wanting patios have faced high fees, as municipal governments have sought to make up for lost parking revenue.
Saskatoon entrepreneur Curtis Olson initially abandoned his plan to convert three parking spaces in front of a co-workspace he owns into a publicly accessible temporary patio two years ago. The $12,000 in permitting fees he was required to pay on top of the cost of constructing the patio were just too steep.
Saskatoon councillors reviewed the sidewalk café and parking patio program this March and lowered fees for businesses. That's led Mr. Olson to build a patio outside his co-workspace, although his plans have been scaled back and the structure will only take up one parking spot.
Following the city's fee reduction, Mr. Olson expects taking over one parking spot for four months will cost him about $1,700.
Mr. Olson is CEO of Shift Development, an urban-focused development company with multiple projects concentrated in the same Saskatoon neighbourhood of Riversdale. He sees parking patios as an opportunity to benefit the public, not just a way for businesses to make more money.
"Parking patios play a huge role in improving the public realm and the streetscape, in animating commercial districts and downtowns," he says. "This is something that will deliver benefits back to all residents."