Sidewalk Cafe: Analysis of Safe Solutions for Customers

Abstract

Faced with the global epidemiological situation during the last two years, which has inevitably limited and affected the daily routines, this paper focused on how urban spaces can adapt to shifting demands. Specifically, it is important to consider the catering activities that, after a series of closures during the imposed lockdowns, are unable to fulfil the demands of the shifting requirements during the reopening phases, owing to a lack of open available spaces. This criticality is amplified in an urban environment, where converting public properties into “commercial” uses is difficult, if not impossible, owing to the lack of available spaces. However, in many Italian scenarios, local administrations have created concession spaces on carriageways, turning in some instances parking stalls into refreshment areas, in order to address the demand of restaurateurs penalised by these circumstances. Despite this solution has solved the problem of those activities, it raises two concerns: the first is about safety, because the solutions adopted are exposed to vehicular traffic, and the second is regarding pedestrian passages’ flow. This is the circumstance that motivated the authors to conduct an assessment of the contingent reality in the Sardinian capital city, Cagliari, evaluating alternative and definitive solutions for urban space regeneration.