One of those ‘I wish we had one in my neighborhood’ urban destinations of creatives is the outdoor cafe walk. The Rue des Bouchers (butcher’s street, historically) - Beenhouwersstraat in Brussels, Belgium is one of the most picturesque and popular in Europe.

For several blocks, you’ll find restaurant after restaurant featuring outdoor seating. What makes this area so inviting?

- The streets are narrow and winding, so you feel like you’re in an outdoor room rather than a long corridor.
-

read more…

My favorite feature:  Reader Experiences.  Please send yours, whether you live in or visited a place worth sharing to inspire a higher quality of life.  This one is from Dick de Jong of Brandaris Placemarketing in the Netherlands.

“In addition to your outdoor cafe district, stage row, alley, plaza, here in the City of Utrecht, the Netherlands you can find the ‘outdoor cafe canal’.  Built nine centuries ago, there is a unique extra lower level along the canals in Utrecht.  These levels used to

read more…

Let’s get right to it.

Pre-Phase. Start with identifying what kind of outdoor cafe scene to crowdsource, whether it’s a walk, alley, square, stage row, or even plaza if you’re the ‘change the world’ type. Or a convergence of two or three types.

Phase I. Develop a defined vision based on the previous phase to attract a beta community of 500 supporters of people who would frequent such a place if it were built. You can build this through monthly events or gatherings, or just a strong campaign.

read more…

...or outdoor cafe piazza, to be more authentic.

While we took a look at the different types of places that make an outdoor cafe scene, the outdoor cafe plaza is the holy grail. Unfortunately, you probably won’t be seeing such places in the U.S. for another 10-20 years, but now’s the time to start planning to see them even in that time frame.

What makes a true outdoor cafe plaza/piazza?

- Pedestrian-only.
- All four edges of the plaza are fronted by buildings, without being divided by

read more…

Continuing our look at the outdoor cafe scene this week…

So, the key to establishing an outdoor cafe scene is converging and multiplying outdoor cafe walks, outdoor cafe alleys or outdoor cafe squares, outdoor cafe stage rows, sprinkled with isolated outdoor cafes. Then you’d officially have an outdoor cafe district and well on the way to attracting creatives, innovative businesses and a vibrant culture.

The photo of Piazza Navonna, Rome above is a combined stage row and square, or the be

read more…

Continuing our look at the outdoor cafe scene this week…

We’re all familiar with the sidewalk cafe, and they’re a key ingredient in enlivening a street. However, it’s not quite enough to create an outdoor cafe scene. Thus, if you don’t have a pedestrian street to do a outdoor cafe walk, alley or square, go for an outdoor cafe stage row.

What’s the ‘stage’ component?  You need a sense of destination, and a couple of tables outside a cafe doesn’t quite do it.  Even a dining area two tables

read more…

Continuing our look at the outdoor cafe scene this week…

How would creatives identify the heart of their neighborhood? With a central square surrounded (or filled completely) with casual dining tables, served by cafes and restaurants - the outdoor cafe square.

Again, this is not an experience reserved for warmer climates - the scene above is from Amsterdam, which happens to be north of London, and certainly colder than New York City and Seattle.

The guidelines for an outdoor cafe square

read more…

Continuing our look at the outdoor cafe scene this week…

For those times when you want a more intimate experience, that true third place where good conversation is the only thing you want to be distracted by, the outdoor cafe alley may be a welcome retreat.

Unlike the public outdoor cafe walk, the outdoor cafe alley is a more private setting, in a narrow lane that feels more like a hidden discovery.

The guidelines for an outdoor cafe alley are:
- Pedestrian-only. It’s a quiet place

read more…

For all the creative people, companies and events that a progressive economic development program brings, in my opinion it’s the outdoor cafe scene that captures the energy and enthusiasm of what it looks like when it all comes together.

This week we’ll take a look at the different manifestations of the outdoor cafe scene. This entry’s focus is on the outdoor cafe walk.

First of all, a ‘walk’ is a more casual noun that can be given to a pedestrian-only promenade. To illustrate the outdoor

read more…

Helsinki, Finland’s Esplanade Park is the city’s grand natural stage, a central urban boulevard park that is at the heart of the city’s pedestrian, recreational and shopping activity. So where’s the best seat in the house to watch it all? That would be Cafe Strindberg.

Notice how its cafe tables and seats are line up theater style so you can relish your espresso or smoothie, soak up the sunshine, and sit and enjoy the live ‘performing arts’ that is people watching. It’s a simple sign that

read more…