Looking Back, Looking Forward
I would not have predicted this is where the country would be one year later. It’s been a long winter, but hope springs eternal. Looking forward to seeing everyone on the other side.
read more
COVID Testing
A couple of weeks ago, Jesse wrote about non-retail active uses, stressing that we should all be thinking about what non-retail active uses might populate the ground floors of buildings if retail is not viable, “uses that add vibrancy to our cities and create inclusive, diverse, and equitable places.” One category on that list is medical…
read moreHere’s the Poop: The Coming Wave
“Everybody pees and poops, every day. We analyze viruses, bacteria, and chemical metabolites that are excreted in urine and stool and collected in sewers. This information is a readout of our health and wellbeing as a community. We map this data, empowering communities to tackle public health proactively.”
read moreCurbside Questions Redux
I wrote about curbside management on our blog back in May, when contactless curbside pickup was comparatively new. But in hindsight this missed a critical curbside use that’s grown significantly during the past 8 months: curbside pickup for non-food retailers.
read moreOne Last Time
We’ve officially reached the dog days of summer, which normally means final trips to the beach, going out for ice cream, or completing that outdoor adventure that eluded you all summer. This year, it means something else, too: a chance to say goodbye.
read moreRestaurant Retrofits Week 7: Mapping
At this point, I’ve picked up food from a lot of restaurants. But it occurred to me that I haven’t thought much about their spatial distribution across the city.
read moreRestaurant Retrofits Week 6: The Twofer, the Finish-at-Home Phenomenon, and the Aesthetic Refinement of Contactless Pickup
We’re at the point where the novelty of getting takeout has worn off, people are antsy to get outside, and everyone’s more than a little anxious about what the future holds. It’s also fair to say that when it comes to takeout, particularly from finer dining establishments, people are expecting more. It’s not always clear what more precisely, but more.
read moreSpatial Distancing
Something that has been bothering me for months is the phrase “social distancing.” Why? Because it’s a misnomer. Nobody wants to encourage social distancing; what we actually want is spatial distance.
read moreRestaurant Retrofits Week 5: The Bagel Drop
The efforts of Bagelsaurus – whether intentionally or not – is cultivating even deeper brand loyalty. It’s probably stating the obvious here, but the net result of people who are buying gift cards and swag and who have put forth above average efforts in trying to support restaurants are going to come out of this extreme loyalists whether they realize it or not.
read moreRestaurant Retrofits Week 4: Curbside Questions
The question many want to know is what will be lasting impacts of the COVID-crisis for our public realm and design of ground floor spaces? How can the line between storefront and street be designed for both porosity and protection? And how will this be reconciled with the inevitable changes inside and around the building, with the public realm and streetscape?
read more
