New York City officials have unveiled new modular sidewalk shed designs created by architecture firms PAU and Arup, marking a significant step forward in the city's ongoing effort to improve street-level infrastructure. The Adams administration and the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) released renderings of six innovative shed designs that aim to replace the current scaffolding systems with more cost-effective and aesthetically pleasing alternatives that can be deployed throughout the city based on specific site conditions.
Sidewalk sheds have become an unavoidable part of daily life for New Yorkers since Local Law 11 was enacted in 1998, which updated a 1980 law that was passed after a Barnard College student was tragically killed by falling masonry in Morningside Heights. Today, New Yorkers walk beneath hundreds of miles of scaffolding every day as building owners comply with mandatory facade inspection requirements.
To address the widespread sidewalk clutter, Mayor Eric Adams launched the Get Sheds Down initiative in 2023. Now, incoming mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced his own accelerated plan for shed removal, which includes the immediate removal of sheds that have been in place for more than three years. Mamdani's proposal would be supported by dedicated funding for aggressive repairs to the buildings in question.
The DOB selected PAU and Arup in 2024 to redesign the city's scaffolding sheds, bringing together extensive collaborative teams. PAU worked alongside LERA Consulting Structural Engineers, Tang Studio Architect, Langan, RWDI, Fisher Marantz Stone, and Dharam to develop their designs. Meanwhile, Arup collaborated with KNE studio, Reddymade, and CORE Scaffolding to create their innovative solutions.
"PAU was established to design for the public," said Vishaan Chakrabarti, founder of PAU. "I can't imagine a more impactful intervention than making Gotham's sidewalks—the most defining aspect of our city's public realm—safer, more egalitarian, and more beautiful." The firm's designs feature distinctive sloped shed roofs that represent a notable departure from current standard practices.
PAU's sloped roof design eliminates the need for a parapet and opens up the sidewalk to natural light and sky, something the current wooden slab counterparts cannot provide. The sloped profile also discourages climbing, addressing a serious safety concern with today's shed installations. However, a flat-topped version will remain available for rare cases when construction workers require roof access, and PAU designers are currently exploring modifiable sloped roof versions that can be flattened when necessary.
Arup's designs offer varying color options and are specifically engineered to work with storefronts that have high floor-to-ceiling heights. "Our designs have fewer obstructions to overcome the tunnel-like feel of current sheds, bringing light and life back to New York City sidewalks," explained Seth Wolfe, a principal at Arup. The Arup sheds are designed to allow more natural light to reach the sidewalk level.
Alongside the new shed designs, Thornton Tomasetti was selected to conduct a comprehensive study of the Facade Inspection and Safety Program (FISP), commonly known as Local Law 11, and shared its findings and recommendations. The firm's recommendations include updating facade safety definitions, revising the inspection timeline from the current five-year cycle to a six-year cycle, implementing visual-only inspections rather than hands-on versions, and initiating a pilot program that would use drones for safety reviews.
DOB Commissioner Jimmy Oddo praised the new designs, stating they are "leaps and bounds above what we see on sidewalks today." All six designs created by PAU and Arup will be made available for public use through the DOB's rule-making process, and registered design professionals will be able to access permits for these new shed systems through the DOB's Professional Certification program.
New York City officials are targeting 2026 as the start date for implementing these new sidewalk shed designs throughout the city, representing a major modernization of the urban infrastructure that affects millions of pedestrians daily.
