“Humans are social animals, we like getting together,” Tom Fisher, director of the University of Minnesota Design Center, said during a Destination Medical Center webinar Friday.
With the City of Rochester announcing the cancellation of Fourth of July events, along with Rochester Civic Music concerts through at least early July, event organizers have pointed to the potential for modifying plans further into the summer.
The Rochester Downtown Alliance has canceled June dates for Thursdays Downtown, and Executive Director Holly Masek has said plans for later dates could be adjusted.
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On Friday, Mike Nigbur, head of Rochester’s parks and forestry division, said the city and others are looking at options to address people’s desire for gathering amid changing times.
“They want the festivals and events and activities, the fun things that happen in parks, but they also want that social isolation that also has to happen,” he said.
Rochester isn’t alone in trying to determine how, or even if, events can take place.
Jerry Hammer, general manager of the Minnesota State Fair, said his organization is cautiously moving forward with plans for the annual event scheduled to start Aug. 27, but he also knows conditions are changing daily.
“We’re not at a point yet where we have to declare one way or the other,” he said.
However, he and others said any public events held this year will likely see changed operations aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19.
Fisher said such changes are common following a large-scale public health crisis.
“Every plague leads to renovations in the public realm,” he said, pointing to the emergence of street cleaning after the plagues in the middle ages and the development of indoor plumbing following cholera outbreaks in the 19th century.
He said new technology for surface coatings to fight viruses and ways to take automated temperatures could be among emerging practices, along with more virtual concerts and running events, which are already being seen.
New cleaning strategies are also likely to be adopted.
Karli McElroy, senior director of placemaking for Rochester Downtown Alliance, said such work was already underway in the city.
Prior to emergency declarations related to the recent pandemic, the RDA was about three weeks from rolling out a new Clean and Safe Ambassador Program, which included a focus on new cleaning efforts for downtown public spaces.
While aspects of the program, which also includes new monitoring of public safety concerns and added hospitality efforts, could be delayed longer, McElroy said cleaning and sanitizing services are being prioritized.
Also a priority is thinking about new ways to hold events and do business, she said.
When restaurants open, some patrons may be hesitant to return to the traditional model but still long for a similar experience.
With that in mind, she said some discussions have started regarding the potential to close city streets or park areas to host outdoor “pop-up restaurants,” which would allow diners to be spaced further apart.
Nigbur said the city is also looking at ways to help public spaces open and events happen without crowding people. He said it could entail adding barriers for separation.
“It’s a changing environment right now,” he said, pointing out that the city is already seeing added use of parks and trails and he expects that to continue.
Hammer said it points to the importance of public gatherings and spaces.
“Throughout history, every time there’s been a plague, a disease and an outbreak or anything, we’ve always come back to these shared experiences,” he said.
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