OUTDOOR SPACES INCREASE IN PROMINENCE DURING THE PANDEMIC 200 Buchanan Road, Morayfield, QLD, 4506, Australia sales@justpatios.com.au 1300 284 531 JUST PATIOS COVID-19 impacted Australian life in various ways. Due to the restrictions and lockdown, activities that normally took place outside were severely limited. In a survey conducted from May to June, 2020, the Australian Institute of Family Studies found that the pandemic impacted leisure activities. People are spending less time socialising and sharing meals, and socialising is usually done virtually. Due to this, homeowners and the Australian government are paying more attention to the benefits and social importance of outdoor spaces. Increase in Home Renovations Outdoor living in Australia benefits greatly from mostly warm weather and clean air. In homes, outdoor entertaining spaces are one of the most important spaces for socialising. This has become even more true due to the pandemic. As people began spending more time indoors, homeowners started renovating to improve their at-home experiences. Most of them hired professionals to carry out the renovations for them. Lending data from Suncorp Bank revealed that, from July 2019 to June 2020, the average budget for home renovations was at $63,188. Among the most common requests for contractors were extensions such as pergolas and decks which would enhance their outdoor living spaces. Most experts agree that COVID-19 is far more infectious in poorly ventilated indoor spaces than outdoor spaces. This is because indoor spaces force people to be in close proximity with one another. Outside, however, the droplets on which the virus is carried is dispersed, diluted, and evaporated. Because of this, and in a bid to revitalize cities, the push for greener cities and outdoor living strengthened during the pandemic. Government efforts to promote outdoor dining include relaxing drinking rules in Sydney and transforming public spaces into pop-up cafes and restaurants in Victoria. As the country continues its efforts to mitigate and recover from the effects of COVID-19, the need for better-utilized outdoor spaces grows. They are essential for maintaining healthy levels of socialisation among citizens and for helping revitalise the hospitality industry. Push for Outdoor Living from the Government https ://www.theguard ian .com/austra l ia- news/2020/sep/14/danie l -andrews-p lans-outdoor-d in ing- to-speed-up-melbourne-recovery ht tps ://www.smh.com.au/nat iona l/nsw/br ing- jo ie-de- v iv re-min is ter -wants- to-re lax-outdoor-dr ink ing-ru les- 20200901-p55rct .h tml ht tps ://www. justpat ios . com.au/ https ://a i fs .gov .au/publ i cat ions/what-we-d id Sources :