Birmingham Lakeview District 2007.JPG

People walk outside night spots in the Lakeview district of Birmingham, Alabama. (Birmingham News File)

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The Birmingham City Council has approved an ordinance to allow open air entertainment districts, relaxing rules on open alcohol containers outside venues.

No specific district was created today, but the ordinance sets up rules where businesses could apply for the designation.

The districts would allow patrons to walk from venue to venue with open containers along a designated block or street.

Austin has previously named Lakeview as a good place to start. The area's layout of bars, clubs and restaurants is the easiest to define and regulate in the city, he said.

Other possible districts could include the new Uptown district around the BJCC, Five Points South and the Parkside area around Railroad Park and Regions Field.

Austin said the new rules would help Birmingham remain competitive with other cities. Legislation creating districts specifically for Montgomery passed in 2010.

Birmingham's ordinance comes after broader 2012 rules passed in the Legislature gave the city the option of creating its own districts.

Austin has cited Birmingham's success with street festivals where areas are blocked off and people are allowed to walk with drink cups and cans. The designations could create a similar scene, he said.