Curb management planning and strategy was already well underway in Washington, D.C., when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, but the virus still managed to change almost everything. On-demand delivery services–DoorDash, Grubhub, etc.–took over crowded curbsides in what felt like overnight and demand for temporary parking space outside businesses skyrocketed from city residents taking the opportunity to pick up their own groceries, meals, or other necessities without violating stay-home orders.

For the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), once the initial situation had been managed, focus shifted to our eventual recovery from the pandemic. And now that the recovery is beginning, focus is squarely on how lessons from COVID-19 will shape the short- and long-term future of the curb in the city.

David Carson Lipscomb, curbside management planner with DDOT, shares the city’s experiences and lessons in this month’s Parking & Mobility magazine–and they’re largely transferable to other operations. Click here to read his story and see how Washington, D.C.’s COVID-19 lessons may shape the way we all think about the curb going forward.