ocupa rua, são paulo, 2020 - Metro Arquitetos

This is a project initiated by the São Paulo City Hall, in collaboration with Metro Arquitetos, Alexandra Forbes, and Janaina Rueda (Casa do Porco).

Dependent on crowds, leisure activities were among the most affected by the pandemic caused by the new coronavirus. Therefore, it was necessary to consider the situation of bars and restaurants in downtown São Paulo within this context. In recent years, establishments in the city center have contributed to an improvement in the urban living conditions of the area, especially at night. To prevent them from closing, we were invited by Alexandra Forbes to think about how to facilitate the safe return of bar and restaurant activities. Taking into account the safety measure of reducing seating capacity by 50%, our initial study proposed using part of the street to extend the restaurants’ tables, aiming to maintain the number of tables close to 100% of their capacity.

We arrived at the final proposal after a meeting with Mayor Bruno Covas and the Urban Development Department of São Paulo. We suggested several scenarios for occupying sidewalks and vehicular lanes (using parking spaces, causing street narrowing) by commercial establishments, especially restaurants and bars. This would free up part of the sidewalks and streets for pedestrian use, with social distancing measures in line with WHO guidelines, both during and after the pandemic. Initially, the intervention streets are General Jardim, Major Sertório, José Paulo Mantovan Freire, and Bento Freitas, benefiting a total of 30 establishments. In addition to increasing the capacity of these establishments, the urban space becomes more lively, dynamic, and safe, encouraging and motivating customers to return to these places safely.