WELCOME THE URBAN UMBRELLA

 In response to constant complaints about the bland, bleak — if not downright ugly — sheds that blanket many New York City's sidewalks, in 2009 the Department of Buildings in partnership with the New York chapter of the American Institute of Architects held an international competition, urbanSHED, to develop a more aesthetically pleasing design while not compromising safety.

The winning design, Urban Umbrella, uses recycled steel columns with splayed spokes, translucent plastic panels, and LED lighting, giving the "shed of the future" a sleek, airy look that allows in more natural light and visibility and provides a greater sense of space. A prototype was installed in December 2011 in front of 100 Broadway, a 24-story office building in Lower Manhattan.

Although city officials and some builders say that the Urban Umbrella will cost the same as current sheds, it's not yet known how much the new design, which is not mandatory, will actually cost to mass-manufacture and install. The owner of one sidewalk shed company, Christopher Downes of Everest Scaffolding, predicts the new design will be much more expensive to install because its heavier supporting columns will require a boom truck to lift and put in place. (Workers can erect the traditional sheds by hand.) He also said the plastic panels are more expensive than plywood, as well as harder to cut and shape to accommodate building protuberances. According to Downes, fashion, luxury goods, and high-end retail stores may be the ones to embrace the Urban Umbrella.

If the new Urban Umbrella design turns out to be an affordable alternative to the traditional shed design, the canopy-covered sidewalks will be an elegantly effective way to not only protect public safety but also improve the city's streetscape.