The parklet outside of Umami Shop in Lethbridge in an image taken Thursday, April 21 2022. (Lethbridge News Now)

By Justin Goulet

Lethbridge outdoor patio and parklet program a big win for local businesses

Apr 21, 2022 | 11:18 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The City of Lethbridge is gearing up for patio season!

Andrew Malcolm, Lethbridge’s Urban Revitalization Manager, said on Thursday that so far this year, the City has permitted seven businesses to set up patios and parklets in the downtown core, with more permits pending. A patio is set up along the sidewalk outside of a business, while a parklet is erected on the street, in parking spaces outside of the building.

The City of Lethbridge’s outdoor patio and parklet program was first piloted in 2018 and has seen significant growth, and positive feedback, over the last four years. Malcolm said over the last two years, it’s proven especially successful with businesses adjusting to evolving COVID-19 restrictions.

He stated, “one of the constants has been the ability to sit outside and serve people food outside.”

“Especially in the downtown or our urban core, there’s not a whole lot of room. There’s not parking lots, there’s not those types of spaces for them to expand out, so the use of the city sidewalk and in the case of a parklet, the city street, the City has really been able to support those businesses and facilitate them to continue doing what they do.”

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The program was initially set up solely for businesses in the downtown core of Lethbridge, but it was expanded to include businesses city-wide last year.

Malcolm said having more people enjoying a meal or drink outside boosts the vibrancy of the downtown area in particular, “which improves the feeling of safety.”

“We’ve had a lot of positive comments around what that amount of people sitting out, live music, people laughing [and] enjoying our downtown has done for vibrancy, so we’re really excited to continue that this year.”

Businesses interested in setting up a patio or parklet can find out how to do so through the City of Lethbridge’s website. An incentive program is also in place to further assist businesses. That includes:

• In the downtown core: 50 per cent matchup up to $5,000 for the design and construction of a major patio or parklet and/or a variety of street furniture infrastructure is available to be lent out by the City at nor charge, including a variety of bistro tables and chairs. Stools, umbrellas and planters.
• Participants city-wide: 50 per cent matchup up to $1,000 for costs including plants, planters, furnishings, barriers etc. for any patio or parklet.

Malcolm added, “we’ve helped support the BRZ (Business Revitalization Zone) in purchasing umbrellas that we loan out to businesses at no cost, so that was facilitated through the City’s CIP – Capital Improvement Program and has been very successful.”

“We continue to monitor how many of those are lent out so that we can continue to have our best supply possible.”

Up to $40,000 was approved by City Council last year for the program and Malcolm said in 2021, just over $18,000 was used.

“So, we have about $21,000 or about 50 per cent of that funding left for the 2022 [season] and we intend with rolling with that until all the funds are [used] or council tells us otherwise.”

He said last year, there were about 20 different parklets and patios in the downtown area and roughly 15 in other parts of the city, typically in the parking lots of businesses participating in the program.

Sarah Amies with the Downtown Lethbridge BRZ remarked that the program has resulted in a “wonderfully positive” impact on the local business sector.

She said, “essentially, what we’re having folks do is increase their footprint, thus increase their capacity to serve more people.”

“When people are walking by and seeing a patio or parklet outside a particular business, it then immediately focuses folks’ attention on that particular business, so it’s great advertising in, sort of, a passive way.”

Malcolm added that “patios and parklets have been kind of booming across the world during the pandemic,” and the City of Lethbridge’s program has gained attention from municipalities and business improvement districts across North America, many of which have used it as a model for their own programs.