New York Construction Report staff writer
New York City officials have unveiled two redesigned sidewalk shed prototypes that they say will make city streets brighter, more open and more welcoming while continuing to protect pedestrians from construction and building hazards.
Click this link to view the prototypes.
Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning Leila Bozorg and Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani introduced the structures outside the Department of Buildings headquarters in Lower Manhattan, where they will remain on display for public viewing over the next month.
The prototypes are among six new sidewalk shed designs being considered by the city as alternatives to the green pipe-and-plywood structures that have become a familiar feature of New York streetscapes.
New designs are intended to address longstanding complaints that traditional sidewalk sheds block sunlight, reduce visibility and consume valuable pedestrian space.
“New Yorkers are tired of sidewalk sheds that darken our streets and take up precious public space,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said in a statement. “We’re working to reduce the number of sheds across the city and to make the ones that remain safer and brighter.”
The city hired architecture and engineering firms in 2024 to develop new pedestrian protection designs that would improve the experience of walking beneath them while maintaining safety standards.
The two prototypes now on display are known as the Flex Shed and the Rigid Shed, both designed by engineering and design firm Arup and its project partners.
The Flex Shed is designed for building maintenance projects and emergency repairs. Its adjustable roof height and support placement allow it to accommodate unique building features and sidewalk obstacles such as bus shelters and street signs. The design also includes options for transparent decking that allow more natural light to reach the sidewalk.
The Rigid Shed is intended for larger construction and renovation projects. The structure eliminates traditional cross-bracing while maintaining the strength needed to protect pedestrians, creating wider openings and a more spacious feel beneath the shed.
The remaining four designs — the Air Shed, Baseline Shed, Wide Baseline Shed and Speed Shed — were developed by teams led by Arup and Practice for Architecture and Urbanism, known as PAU.
Renderings of all six concepts were released in 2025, but this marks the first opportunity for the public to view full-scale versions of the designs in person.
The Department of Buildings is currently drafting rules that would make all six designs available for use at construction sites and buildings requiring pedestrian protection. Officials said the design specifications will be publicly available and incorporated into city regulations, allowing property owners and contractors to adopt the new models.
Tigani said the redesign effort reflects a broader push to improve public spaces while maintaining safety requirements.
“Sidewalk sheds in front of hazardous building facades and construction sites serve an important public safety purpose,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean we have to accept the current pipe-and-plywood eyesores that have shrouded our neighborhoods and eaten into those critical public spaces.”
City officials expect the rulemaking process to be completed later this year, clearing the way for the new sidewalk shed designs to begin appearing across the five boroughs.
