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In NYC the scaffolding is eternal. Nobody gets to enjoy the street. It's better than having tools fall on the street and things like that, but the average age

In NYC the scaffolding is eternal. Nobody gets to enjoy the street. It's better than having tools fall on the street and things like that, but the average age is over 7 months and many are there for years. https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/buildings/html/sidewalk-shed-map.html https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/buildings/html/sidewalk-shed-map... Construction is great, maintenance is important, but why have all of these architectural facades when all you get to see is painted wood and temporary lighting?

merely-unlikely 4y ago
A handful of the larger buildings seem to have accepted the permanent scaffolding state of affairs and actually handle it quite well. Ie [1] where the supports for the scaffolding are built into the building itself leaving the sidewalk completely free of interference. Still not the best to look at if you look up, but doesn't impede foot traffic at all. And it's nice in the rain. Some others like [2] have spent a bit more money to make the scaffolding look nicer and cleaner. It's a fair intermediate solution imo that I hope becomes more widespread if we take as a given that eternal scaffolding isn't going away any time soon. [1]https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7630615,-73.9738617,3a,75y,237.94h,100.24t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s-oK35uteGOP-c55C0ygZJA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7630615,-73.9738617,3a,75y,2... [2]https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7589834,-73.9748391,3a,75y,125.77h,84.26t/data=!3m9!1e1!3m7!1sCWGX-r14NiP8-PBClCR1bw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!9m2!1b1!2i37 https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7589834,-73.9748391,3a,75y,1...
jacobolus 4y ago
> In NYC the scaffolding is eternal You might enjoy the episode “How to Put Up Scaffolding” from the TV show How to with John Wilson https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13021528/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13021528/
jasode 4y ago
>In NYC the scaffolding is eternal. Wendover made a short video about that: https://youtu.be/lphKvTqovHs?t=1m56s https://youtu.be/lphKvTqovHs?t=1m56s TLDW: It's the Law of Unintended Consequences -- The sidewalk shed (aka "scaffolding") is a hack to get around a law requiring building facades be inspected every 5 years. Instead of actually inspecting the building masonry and making any necessary repairs, just install a sidewalk shed and leave it there year after year.
fennecfoxen 4y ago
It’s not for construction and maintenance. It’s for inspection. The scaffolds exploded after some facade bits fell on someone and they passed Local Law 11, and they radically increased the number of inspections and basically required scaffolds for them. The correct modern solution is probably mostly drones. This idea has been floated but is not presently legal, and the scaffold companies will lobby the government and cry bloody murder, so expect the scaffolding to continue for the next 300 years.

merely-unlikely 4y ago

A handful of the larger buildings seem to have accepted the permanent scaffolding state of affairs and actually handle it quite well. Ie [1] where the supports for the scaffolding are built into the building itself leaving the sidewalk completely free of interference. Still not the best to look at if you look up, but doesn't impede foot traffic at all. And it's nice in the rain. Some others like [2] have spent a bit more money to make the scaffolding look nicer and cleaner. It's a fair intermediate solution imo that I hope becomes more widespread if we take as a given that eternal scaffolding isn't going away any time soon. [1]https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7630615,-73.9738617,3a,75y,237.94h,100.24t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s-oK35uteGOP-c55C0ygZJA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7630615,-73.9738617,3a,75y,2... [2]https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7589834,-73.9748391,3a,75y,125.77h,84.26t/data=!3m9!1e1!3m7!1sCWGX-r14NiP8-PBClCR1bw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192!9m2!1b1!2i37 https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7589834,-73.9748391,3a,75y,1...

jacobolus 4y ago

> In NYC the scaffolding is eternal You might enjoy the episode “How to Put Up Scaffolding” from the TV show How to with John Wilson https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13021528/ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13021528/

jasode 4y ago

>In NYC the scaffolding is eternal. Wendover made a short video about that: https://youtu.be/lphKvTqovHs?t=1m56s https://youtu.be/lphKvTqovHs?t=1m56s TLDW: It's the Law of Unintended Consequences -- The sidewalk shed (aka "scaffolding") is a hack to get around a law requiring building facades be inspected every 5 years. Instead of actually inspecting the building masonry and making any necessary repairs, just install a sidewalk shed and leave it there year after year.

fennecfoxen 4y ago

It’s not for construction and maintenance. It’s for inspection. The scaffolds exploded after some facade bits fell on someone and they passed Local Law 11, and they radically increased the number of inspections and basically required scaffolds for them. The correct modern solution is probably mostly drones. This idea has been floated but is not presently legal, and the scaffold companies will lobby the government and cry bloody murder, so expect the scaffolding to continue for the next 300 years.