Shoreditch, the hipster neighborhood and one of the most "artsy" areas in London's East End, part of the London Borough of Hackney, is experiencing a new "dolce vita" thanks to Mayor Sadiq Khan 's new Summer Streets program. For the first time, bars and restaurants on Rivington Street and Redchurch Street in Shoreditch will be able to offer outdoor dining and drinks every Friday and Saturday. The new program began on August 1st and will run until the end of the year, with the streets closed to traffic from 6 p.m. to midnight.

Hackney's new outdoor dining and drinking area is one of four new projects the mayor is funding across the capital through his £300,000 Summer Streets Fund. The funding is part of the mayor's commitment to increasing outdoor dining options and extending opening hours to offer Londoners more choice and help support businesses.

The Shoreditch initiative is a taste of what the mayor could do after securing new licensing powers from the government to help boost the capital's nightlife. With the new project, Londoners and tourists can enjoy a variety of cuisines from around the world at the many businesses currently operating. Other sites supported by the mayor's Summer Streets Fund include projects in Lambeth, Waltham Forest, and Westminster. In Leyton, Francis Road is extending its car-free parking hours, with an outdoor restaurant on Leyton Midland Road. In Brixton, more car-free days are planned on Atlantic Road and the "Brixton Summer Zone," with outdoor seating and live entertainment, will officially launch at the end of the month. Soon, bars and restaurants on St Martin's Lane, in the heart of the West End, will also be able to eat and drink al fresco.

The creation of new outdoor dining venues is one of the mayor's many initiatives to support London's hospitality, leisure, and tourism sectors. Khan , for example, has also created an independent Nightlife Task Force to help boost the capital's nightlife. These sectors are considered crucial to the capital's success and national growth, generating over £46 billion annually and accounting for one in 10 jobs in London. Over the past year, the number of nightclubs in London has grown faster than anywhere else in the country.

"I'm delighted to be able to support Shoreditch's bars and restaurants to offer al fresco dining from today," said Mayor of London Sadiq Khan . "Through my Summer Streets Fund, we're helping to put al fresco dining back on the menu, supporting businesses and helping Londoners and visitors make the most of summer. I'm determined to do everything we can to support London's fantastic restaurants, cafes and bars, and these projects are just the start of what's to come as we continue to work with partners across the capital to revitalise our nightlife and build a better London for all." Howard Dawber , Deputy Mayor for Business, added: "The Mayor's Summer Streets Fund was designed to boost local businesses, stimulate entrepreneurship and provide exciting opportunities for Londoners and visitors. It's just one of the ways we're helping to stimulate London's nightlife economy, and it's fantastic to see this new project bringing al fresco dining to Shoreditch."

Earlier this year, the government announced plans to give the mayor new licensing powers, allowing Sadiq Khan to decide on an “on-call” basis on blocked licence applications for key locations, such as nightlife hotspots, to allow more outdoor dining and to reduce red tape.