2025 marks the fifth anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, which gave rise to ‘parklets’ in downtown Bend

BEND, Ore. {KTVZ} -- A lot has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world and Central Oregon, like the unemployment rate.

In April 2020, at the height of the pandemic, Oregon's unemployment rate hit a historic high of 16.6%, versus the current unemployment rate as of January 2025, holding steady at 4.0%, Oregon Employment Department Regional Economist, Nicole Ramos said.

But reminders of the pandemic can be seen all around downtown Bend, in the way of "parklets."

Under an emergency declaration, the City of Bend implemented a ‘parklet’ program that allowed downtown businesses to expand into the parking spaces directly in front of their locations.

After the success of temporary parklets introduced during the pandemic, the Bend City Council voted unanimously in favor of a permanent parklet license program in April of 2021.

The program is restricted to the downtown district, and allows for up to 90 parklet spaces.

KTVZ attempted to reach out Tuesday to downtown businesses like Deschutes Brewery, that still has its parklet in play, but was unsuccessful.

With the 2021 decision, making parklets a permanent fixture, downtown Bend is not only embracing a new way of urban living, but also setting a precedent for other cities to follow.