Goldilocks confronted very simple challenges with very simple means. But cities are made of diverse people with different tastebuds. None would have to burn their tongue if they were more aware of the knowledge and tools we have at hand.
How Do We Get Urban Density 'Just Right'? The Goldilocks Quest For The 'Missing Middle' menafn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from menafn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
How do we get urban density 'just right?' The Goldilocks quest for the 'missing middle' phys.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from phys.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Kim Dovey, Merrick Morley and Quentin Stevens
Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. Author provided
Outdoor dining on former parking spaces – generally known as parklets – has proliferated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reduced demand for parking coincided with increased demand for outdoor space – but when the pandemic subsides, cities must decide what comes next. Is this a temporary change before we return to the car-dependent city, or can it help us create a better city?
A map of parklets across Melbourne in April 2021. Author provided
What has happened is that one kind of temporary private appropriation of public space (parking) has been traded for another (dining). This has been a very effective adaptation to the need for spatial distancing and to avoid indoor spaces. It has helped many hospitality businesses to survive.