Image credit: author
What “state reopening” means for us:
In an unexpected move, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced that tattoo parlors, hair and nail salons and other small businesses would reopen as early as April 24, 2020 in the state of Georgia.
Governor Kemp is not the only one eager to bring businesses back online. Hundreds of protesters crowded into downtown Raleigh last Tuesday for a third week of rallies aimed at reversing Gov. Roy Cooper’s stay-home order in North Carolina.
States reopening situation map. Image credit New York Times (5/4/2020)
It seems a reasonable human nature that people cannot stay home for too long, regardless of the possible impacts on their health and well-being.
Why moving small businesses outdoors matters:
1. It is easier to maintain the 6 ft social distancing guidelines
2. According to a study from University of Washington, shoppers are willing to spend more when shopping in pleasant natural settings.
“Shoppers claim that they will spend 9% to 12% more for goods and services in central business districts having high quality tree canopies”
“Shoppers indicate that they will travel greater distance and a longer time to visit a district having high quality trees and spend more time there once they arrive.”
Challenges for current indoor space for small businesses:
A recent survey done by Public Private Strategies, shows that the biggest concern for small businesses are cash flow challenges (85%) and lack of customers (72%). Those specific concerns are related to having a store open during the COVID 19 crisis.
What science tell us:
“Study shows When the virus becomes suspended in droplets smaller than five micrometers — known as aerosols — it can stay suspended for about a half-hour, before drifting down and settling on surfaces where it can linger for hours.” The New York Times.
“According to researchers, the restaurant's air conditioner blew the viral droplets of one person who was asymptomatic farther than they might have normally gone.” – Business insider
This research letter conducted in Guangzhou, China, later published on CDC indicated a potential risk of using air condition. A typical small retail store with HVAC system, the indoor air is recirculated air: the returned air was diverted from the exhausted route, mixed with outside air, conditioned (adjust temperature and humidity) and delivered to the enclosed space. Though a high quality filter (such as MERV13 or higher) can help filter the contaminated droplets, using natural ventilation can significantly improve indoor air quality.
A question for myself:
How can we adapt the existing parking grid for a Farmer’s Market to accommodate required Social Distancing?
During this pandemic crisis, I realize these existing parking grids (standard 90 degree parking space size 8.5 ft x 18 ft) are a good reference for us to easily layout an outdoor shopping modality. This adapted layout will respect the guidelines and new realities of social distancing without much cost or changing the existing context.
Ever since I moved to Maryland, we go to the Farmer’s Market in Town of Kensington as our weekend ritual. Hence, I would like to demonstrate this idea using Kensington’s Farmer’s market as an example. (below are the existing scene in the Farmer’s Market)
New shopping modality after COVID 19:
After planning according to parking grids, the site can accommodate more vendors. The place-specific stickers indicate 6 ft distance mark, so shoppers can easily locate themselves without any confusion.
On a regular weekend, there are 10-11 vendors gathering in the parking lot of Kensington’s train station. This plan illustrates the possibility to expand the market to the other side of the train track to accommodate more vendors (21-24) and as part of new shopping modality designed around social distancing.
(image last updated: 6/4/2020)
A side note": some readers have asked me how this parking grid abided by social distancing requirements. I realize I forgot to explain: one person’s shoulder width is two feet wide, and the parking grid is 8-8.5 feet wide. Therefore, if each shopper is standing at the parking grid (regardless which direction they turn), the distance between two shoppers will be 6 feet. We do not need extra markings for the customer lines. The parking grids will serve as our natural guideline.
This type of market layout also offer us the following benefit: 1. More shoppers line up under the tree (at the edge of parking lot) which boost their shopping mood. 2. No 6 feet markings are needed: reduce the quantity of traffic cones on the site. 3. Opening up the view towards the historical train station. 4. Additional seating area offer onsite outdoor-dining experience. 5. Clustered vendors gathering in the central location of the parking lot function as a wind block as windy season changes.
Last updated on 6/13/2020.