During the darkest days of the pandemic, New Yorkers rediscovered their streets. Parking spaces became dining rooms, sidewalks became gathering places, and outdoor dining quickly emerged as one of the city’s most visible and successful adaptations to crisis.

When indoor dining shut down, the emergency outdoor dining program allowed restaurants to place tables on sidewalks and, for the first time, in roadways. Curbside parking was transformed into vibrant extensions of neighborhood life. It quickly became one of the city’s most popular and effective economic recovery tools. At its peak, roughly 8,000 restaurants participated.

Over the past two years, however, the program has changed significantly. A 2023 law created a permanent program known as DiningOutNYC, but participation has declined as seasonality and cumbersome new requirements have made the program more difficult for businesses to........

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