Last year more than 9,000 sidewalk sheds dotted New York streets, protecting public safety and inspiring universal frustration.
The sidewalk sheds accompanying new construction have long been a thorn in the side of New York residents. While mandated to protect pedestrians from potential falling objects, they're widely considered obtrusive and unsightly.
Toronto and New York projects are experimenting with an alternative shed designed by Urban Umbrella, which won a design competition convened by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Made of recycled steel, translucent plastic, and LED lights, the product "looks like an umbrella unfolding and allows natural light to hit sidewalks that would normally be darkened and narrowed by traditional sheds," Amanda Fung explains in Yahoo Finance.
It's not the first attempt to aestheticize the sidewalk shed—Zaha Hadid designed one in 2015—but most previous options haven't been cost-effective. Urban Umbrella's model is still more expensive than a standard shed, but creators say the price is dropping as projects in Boston, Québec, and Vancouver join the trend.
FULL STORY: The ugly scaffold industry is about to be disrupted
New York City's Sidewalk Shed Epidemic
A 1980 law protecting pedestrians from falling debris has spawned a labyrinth of sidewalk sheds: the covered walkways that often support scaffolding. Many of these "temporary" structures linger for years.
Art May Be Coming to New York City Sidewalk Sheds
Scaffolding and sidewalk sheds being a fixture of life in NYC, the city has decided to let artists do their thing with all that blank canvas.
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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The States Losing Rural Delivery Rooms at an Alarming Pace
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The Small South Asian Republic Going all in on EVs
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DC Backpedals on Bike Lane Protection, Swaps Barriers for Paint
Citing aesthetic concerns, the city is removing the concrete barriers and flexposts that once separated Arizona Avenue cyclists from motor vehicles.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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