New Look for City Sidewalks: DOB Unveils Scaffold Sheds
As part of the NYC Council’s efforts to rebrand the city’s iconic construction scaffolding, two new prototype ‘scaffolding sheds’ have been revealed in downtown Manhattan.
| 19 Jun 2026 | 02:15
Prototypes for two of the six new scaffolding shed designs were installed in lower Manhattan as part of a citywide effort to rebrand street scaffolding. (
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The two designs installed, ‘Flex Shed’ (blue) and ‘Rigid Shed’ (yellow), will be up for thirty days in front of the Department of Buildings headquarters. (
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The two sheds prioritize open air, light, and visual appeal, as well as ensuring pedestrian safety. (
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The ‘Flex Shed’ took on varying levels of height and featured two different roof materials, one glass. (
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The city aims to start replacing the old scaffolding structure with the new designs later this year. (
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The City installed two prototype sidewalk sheds outside the Department of Buildings headquarters, showing the first two of six new designs to overhaul the look of current scaffolding in the city.
The two sheds, currently on display at 280 Broadway in lower Manhattan, are the result of legislation passed in March 2025 to reduce the presence of scaffolding in the city and ‘improve their designs.’ With the passed bill, NYC Council Members decreased permit durations from 1 year to 3 months, strengthen penalties for permit renewal, and improve safety through added lighting and raising the minimum height of scaffolding structures.
Adrienne Adams, who was speaker of the NYC council at the time the legislation was passed, said the sheds will improve the overall look of city streets.
“The Council is proud to advance these reform laws that will improve our residents’ quality of life, make our streets more vibrant, and hasten the removal of these blights from our neighborhoods,” Adams said as part of the March 2025 legislation.
Keith Powers, who was a NYC Council Member at the time the legislation was passed, said implementing new shed designs are a response to the state of current scaffolding in the city.
“For too long, our city has been covered in over 400 miles of ugly, dingy scaffolding that impacts the experience of everyday New Yorkers, small business owners, and people coming to visit our city,” Powers said in the legislation.
Erik Bottcher, who was a NYC Council Member at the time the legislation was passed, said reducing permit duration will ensure that scaffoldings do not become permanent street structures.
“Ask any New Yorker and they’ll tell you: sidewalk sheds are the permanent guest that never leaves,” Bottcher said in the legislation. “What was meant to be a temporary safety measure has become a symbol of dysfunction on our streets.”
In 2023, the then-Mayor Eric Adams and then-DOB Commissioner Jimmy Oddo made headlines when they took down a shed on 49 Edgecombe Avenue that had stood for 21 years. New regulations now institute fines for scaffolding left up more than 90 days.
Scaffolding structures are designed to protect pedestrians from falling debris and the constant city construction above, but often the structures are associated with being visually unappealing and having a slew of safety problems due to their dark, obscured tunnels. For the two designs on view, the new sheds aim to increase light and ventilation and take on the shape of vibrant, open structures—with the current bright blue and yellow designs having LED lighting, glass roofs, and less wall enclosing the shed.
Harry Heymann, a user on ‘X,’ said the improved designs do not fix the overconcentration of scaffolding in the city. The city has 6,000 miles of scaffolding installed at any given time.
“Lipstick on a pig,” one user posted on ‘X.’ “NYC has scaffolding laws unlike any other city in America. It’s ridiculous. Fix the real problem.”
Another ‘X’ user, under the handle @District1ResNYC, instead humorously appreciated the look, saying “On the downside you can’t do pull-ups on these. They do give more visibility to the stores and businesses.”
Bottcher, who is now a New York State Senator, said the project will still prioritize pedestrian safety.
“We’re cutting through red tape, closing loopholes, and putting the needs of pedestrians first — without compromising safety,” Bottcher said. “This is about restoring beauty, safety, and common sense to our sidewalks.”
The new sheds— titled ‘Flex Shed’ and ‘Rigid Shed’ were designed by environment consultancy Arup, according to 6sqft, and will stay up for thirty days. The designs are expected to start being implemented later this year, after being codified through the Department of Buildings.