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.
Central Park Sidewalk Restoration Project Balances Accessibility, Preservation
The original tile and brick sidewalks now pose safety hazards and don’t fully serve modern accessibility and mobility needs.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.
San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.
Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.
Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
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.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
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City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions