The City of Asheville's Outdoor Dining Program is dishing out some updates. The Asheville City Council approved the changes at its Tuesday, Oct. 24 meeting, with updates made based on the findings from the AVL Shares Space initiatives that were launched during the pandemic.

Let's dig into the changes:

Parklets are now rebranded as "streeteries" — and they'll be here for the long haul. These sidewalk extensions will be up for annual permitting, allowing restaurants to maintain dining structures expanding into on-street parking spaces and sidewalks.
A new fee structure will be put into place to promote multiple public benefits, incentivizing the spaces to be used outside of business hours.
An outdoor dining guide shares standards + best practices for the application process (not to be confused with our guide of 30+ outdoor dining spots we shared earlier this week).

Updates to the program will take effect in January 2024 — the application process for businesses will open Monday, Nov. 13 via the City's Development Portal, with information sessions coming soon.