Taking it to the streets

The city has launched a new sidewalk application process aimed at helping reopening retailers

THE CITY OF London is launching a new streamlined application process to host sidewalk sales on city property, to make it easier for businesses to serve customers safely outside when stay-at-home orders are no longer in place.

Businesses wishing to display and sell merchandise on city sidewalks or boulevards in front of their businesses can now access a three-step application on the city’s website, with no associated fees.

“Right now, the community is being asked to stay home so we can keep one another safe,” says Orest Katolyk, chief municipal law enforcement officer and member of the City’s Back to Business (B2B) Action Team. “Once it is safe to reopen, it will be important for businesses to have ways to serve customers safely. We hope this new process will make it as easy as possible for businesses that are interested in serving their customers outside when it’s safe to do so.”

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Making it possible to host outdoor shopping events is one of more than 70 “ideas for action” outlined in a recent plan developed by the London Community Recovery Network (LCRN), a community driven recovery effort comprising leaders from the private sector, non-profit sector, and institutional organizations who are working in collaboration with the city. The city’s B2B team is continuing to work closely with the London Community Recovery Network to plan and implement ideas to support businesses during Covid-19.

“Putting creative, flexible solutions into action has been the focus of the City of London’s B2B team, and this idea from LCRN is yet another example of the type of nimble, short-term action we can take to respond to the needs of our community,” adds Katolyk.