What’s the difference between a portico and a sidewalk shed? At the end of the day, it’s permanence.

Bologna, Italy is famous for its stately porticoes (38 miles worth) and is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. New York City’s utilitarian equivalent—sidewalk sheds—are similar in that both are sheltering, street-level spaces for pedestrians.  But the similarity ends there.  NYC has 400 miles of sidewalk shed, and they definitely don’t place us in contention for UNESCO designation.

SUPERSTRUCTURES applauds NYC’s “Get Sheds Down” initiative and its goal of minimizing the intrusion of sidewalk sheds. Our systematic approach to facade inspection and restoration (with our emphasis on pre-construction preparation) offers the potential to get each project completed, scaffolding dismantled, and the sidewalk unobstructed as rapidly as possible.

Urban Umbrella's sidewalk shed design

We also strive to keep building owners informed on the latest requirements of New York’s Facade Inspection Safety Program (FISP) aka Local Law 11, to help them stay ahead of the inspection curve, keeping the need for long-term sheds in check.

Sidewalk shed solutions like Urban Umbrella’s (above) attempt to turn a bug into a feature, but they’re not likely to rival the experience of sipping a Negroni in the shade of Bologna’s historic porticoes.