"Sidewalks sheds cover more than 380 miles of streets or 7,500 city blocks, and some have stayed up for more than 15 years because of 'outdated regulations that make it easier to leave a building in disrepair than to fix the issues that are actually at hand.'"
"Currently, a shed must extend at least half the height of the building under repair, meaning a tall tower can push a shed dozens of feet into surrounding open space. But starting this August, sheds will be capped at 40 feet from a building's facade regardless of height."
"The city is also stepping up enforcement on perma-sheds. A new Department of Buildings rule will allow the agency to penalize owners for keeping sheds up too long and require public updates on shed status every 90 days."
New York City is overhauling sidewalk shed regulations to address structures that consume excessive public space and remain in place for years. Currently, sheds must extend at least half a building's height, allowing tall structures to project dozens of feet into sidewalks and green spaces. Starting August, sheds will be capped at 40 feet regardless of building height, significantly reducing sidewalk and green space consumption, particularly on NYCHA campuses. The city is strengthening enforcement through new Department of Buildings rules requiring owners to face penalties for prolonged shed installations and provide public status updates every 90 days. Additionally, well-maintained buildings under 40 years old will transition from mandatory facade inspections every five years to every 12 years, with abbreviated visual checks every three years.
#sidewalk-shed-regulations #urban-infrastructure #building-code-enforcement #public-space-management #new-york-city-policy
Read at Gothamist
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