LERA and PAU Designs for Sidewalk Sheds for NYC Advancing
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LERA is part of PAU's team designing new Sidewalk Sheds for New York City. NYC DOB issued final rules to strengthen oversight and enforcement of sidewalk sheds, requiring building owners to begin necessary repairs more quickly and safely remove sheds on a faster timeline.
“PAU believes sidewalk sheds can be far better than the dark and dreary structures we experience today.” said Vishaan Chakrabarti, founder of PAU. “We see them as an opportunity to make our sidewalks safer, inviting, beautiful and luminous. PAU was founded to design for the public, and there are few more direct ways to improve New York’s public realm than to rethink something that millions of New Yorkers encounter every day.”
Sidewalk sheds—often called scaffolding—protect pedestrians from falling debris during construction and demolition. They’re so common in New York that the city has more than two million linear feet of them at any time—nearly 400 miles—mostly in its busiest, most crowded areas.
Most sheds still follow a standard 1980s design: a flat deck with a plywood parapet, steel columns, cross-bracing, railings, and basic lighting. They’re cheap and code-compliant, but they also darken sidewalks, constrict movement, and add to the city’s visual clutter, making them a frequent frustration for residents.
NYC’s Department of Buildings selected new shed designs for implementation including three from PAU. PAU’s designs, developed with LERA Consulting Structural Engineers and a broader consultant team, aim to improve circulation, flexibility, and street-level experience while minimizing disruption during installation and maintenance. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, they propose a standardized “kit of parts” that can adapt to sidewalks of different widths, uses, and surrounding building conditions.
A key early decision was to prioritize a sloped roof. This eliminates the parapet, opens views to the sky, and discourages climbing, a major safety issue with flat roofs. Flat-topped versions would remain for rare cases needing roof access, with the option to convert sloped roofs when required.
Other circulation and comfort improvements include using netting instead of solid roofs for more daylight, removing street-level bracing, widening post spacing, and eliminating corner columns that currently block pedestrian flow and are prone to vehicle strikes. The aim: safer sheds that feel lighter, brighter, and less intrusive in daily city life.
“The Wide Baseline Shed”
“The Speed Shed” – Designed by PAU
“The Baseline Shed”
In the News:
Mayor Adams Unveils New Designs for Sidewalk Sheds and Scaffolding That Will Beautify Streets, Make City Safer
New York City’s Scaffolding Gets a Long Overdue Makeover https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/nyregion/nyc-scaffolding-sidewalk-sheds.html
City unveils six 'better-looking' building scaffolding designs
NYC unveils futuristic new sidewalk sheds set to replace unsightly scaffolding https://nypost.com/2025/11/18/us-news/nyc-unveils-its-futuristic-new-sidewalk-sheds/
Six new designs promise brighter streets, fewer obstructions and a long-overdue breakup with the city’s dingy green sheds.
NYC unveils designs for revamped sidewalk sheds https://www.6sqft.com/nyc-unveils-designs-for-revamped-sidewalk-sheds/
NYC Unveils Six New Sidewalk Shed Designs Aimed at Opening Up City Streets
...Cost-effective sidewalk shed designs for New York City streets
NYC streets to be transformed with new scaffolding sheds for better safety and modularity
New York City Sidewalk Shed Ideas Lean on Light and Air — and Curb Climbing
