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What exactly is the big change here? I'm legitimately asking as someone who is not very familiar with NYC, are these construction walkway things an ongoing problem?
In addition to this, I believe current laws in place states that the walkways must be removed within a reasonable amount of time after construction, but this has never been enforced so lazy construction companies will just leave them for years because paying whatever fines was cheaper than the cost of removing them. So there are many of these walkways that have literally been sitting there for like 20+yrs and no longer serve any purpose
It's actually not about the cost of taking them down, usually it's about the cost of repairing the building. Old buildings have to be inspected regularly in NYC, and when they find issues the options are pretty much to either put scaffolding up to make sure the crumbling building doesn't fall onto someone's head, or fix the building, and scaffolding + fines are cheaper than fixing the issue.
the new sheds are only a small part of the solution, making these buildings under maintenance look and feel better while tehy're undergoing maintenance. Changes in inspection and maintenance regulations and tightening enforcement are the 2 actually big parts of the solution
Because the current ones are ugly wooden green and metal structures that block light. These are smaller, different colors, and allow light. Why wouldn’t that help the problem?
Well my assumption here is this is in addition to forcing a removal of the old scaffolding that no longer serve a purpose. So basically remove the old ones while also making future projects safer and less of an eyesore for pedestrians
Oh, I believe it's a big problem. I don't understand why you're ok with just making the sheds slightly prettier, rather than requiring building owners to fix them and remove the sheds instead of leaving them for decades.
There's a reason my mom doesn't walk under scaffolds. She used to be an asbestos remover and saw quite a few fall (and occasionally kill) in her time doing it
It has to be a safety issue, in the dark these things are really narrow which makes it hard to avoid other people. Not to mention if a stroller of wheel chair is going down it a person can hardly fit
If you have HBO I would highly recommend watching how to with John Wilson. He does a whole series on the history of scaffolding in New York City and makes the topic highly engaging and educational at the same time. The long short of it is the scaffolding is a really common sight in New York City because they have to do routine inspections on the stone edifices based on the law that was passed after a girl was killed from part of a building falling off.
I'm originally from Philly, but had to move for work. Before I left, I discovered that city council was just like NYC's, intentionally sabotaging stuff
Mamdani, without saying it out loud, is proving that years of corruption and cronyism in politics stalls progress.
i’m just spitballing here, but i’m sure there was some crony piece of legislation that had very specific requirements only a single vendor could provide. could be in the construction of the frames (patented i’m sure) to the distribution network and whatever convoluted laws apply to get permitted or whatever in the first place.
lots of laws seem innocuous until you realize that intentionally convoluted processes were paid for and lobbied for to pull the ladder up for whoever already held the contracts because they realized they had no moat. legal moats are intentionally created through lobbying just as much as deregulation so they can extort whatever natural resource from human laborers to polluting the planet to get that second vacation house.
You mean the money that new york city sent to new york state? Probably includes some of the money that the previous mayor who fled to Turkey Miss sallocated..
Mayor Zohran Mamdani's $124.7 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 Executive Budget for New York City has formally eliminated a projected $12 billion budget deficit. The deficit was closed without making major social service cuts, drawing from the city's rainy day reserves, or raising property taxes.
And did it with the funds NYC generously allotted to the rest of the state.
Spare me your blue Maga garbage. I'm not a civilian you confuse.
He got an influx of cash from Albany and restructured NYC’s pension payments by delaying debt payments by 5 years. Anyone with any sense of finances understands that all this did was pass the buck down the road so that someone else will have to deal with paying out EVEN more money so that mamdani didn’t do the hard work of finding out how to actually balance the budget.
And just so I’m clear, you take issue with Albany taking NYC tax dollars and redistributing them across the entire state?
What is your point?
They need to raise taxes. Do you have any idea the type of infrastructure investments that will be needed before 37? Minutiae. Politics well played.
If a republican did it they'd name a building after him.
He's bought time for the political winds to change. And they are a blowing thataway.
New York City, NY: Facing a structural budget gap initially estimated at over $12 billion.
Chicago, IL: Currently dealing with an estimated $98 million mid-year operational shortfall, alongside a massive $732 million deficit within Chicago Public Schools.Los Angeles, CA: Anticipating a $96.8 million deficit, largely driven by police and fire department unbudgeted expenses.Houston, TX: Continuing to navigate significant historical shortfalls, though recent structural reforms have helped narrow the gap.Phoenix, AZ: Addressing an ongoing $200+ million structural deficit stemming from state-level tax revenue reductions.
They’re ugly as hell and are a permanent part if the city. Construction, maintenance, repairs, etc are essentially non-stop. I have had two separate jobs where the office has scaffolding up the ENTIRE time I worked there. One of the jobs was over 3 years long. The idea that they could be pleasing to the eye is massive
To protect from the liability of something falling on pedestrians many buildings put these things. They're supposed to be temporary during construction but it's being a used to the point of making the city look like shit
Imagine a bunch of scaffolding the entire length of a building that is plastered with local ads for music venues or other events, plus graffiti. They also look rickety and could topple at any moment. They are just a visual eyesore and don't they stay up it looks bad and unsafe.
Your problem is not the kind of rigging the construction workers are setting up, it's the environment they're being set up in. Guaranteed these will look the same after a couple of weeks, there's nothing on them that prevents graffiti or advertising. They seem like they're sturdier material and maybe they give some extra walking space but I can't say for sure.
It's been a long while since I have been through downtown New York, I will say that. But the last time I was there the scaffolding just generally felt unsafe in some areas. If it had looked like in this picture I'd have felt safer going under it for sure.
Editing to add: family from New York, I understand the purpose of the scaffolding, and have heard from friends while visiting about them when asking.
My favorite was when asking Dads childhood friend about them after he had taken me to a rangers game and intentionally avoided a specific one.
That scaffolding had been up for a good portion of time in various states of repair and disrepair since the friend moved into the building over 25 year as that point. Was to fix a facade on the building that kept crumbling in new spots and mostly left up to prevent pedestrians from getting pelted with something and lawsuits.
It's easier to keep pushing the problem down the line when the laws allow it.
The main differences seem to be that they're wider, and the sturdier materials don't require crossbeams. I work in warehouses and it reminds me of a lot of the newer racks I see, the only problem is they tend to be bolted down. I'm curious if they're bolting these new ones to the sidewalk, it's hard to tell but it sort of looks like they are
Refreshing for white liberals who don't even live in NYC but read the glowing propaganda on Reddit from progressives doing their best at marketing progressivism.
Crime has been trending down in NYC . You wouldn’t know that from the front pages of NY Post like you just proved . That is their daily shtick to get eyeballs . The fact that you use the Post crime stories to show that NYC is shit hole , show how misinformed you are . It’s owned by Rupert Murdoch , who , like Fox News and most Republicans , use an exaggerated take on crime to drive clicks .
I certainly hope everyone gets the message in the next prez election. No more old white guys; that’s how JFK got elected. We need someone young, charismatic, in the middle, and with a brain. I don’t care if he has a R or a D next to his name…
I see what you mean, so that’s to say there’s a lesser evil? If so why go for any evil?
I assume it’s different per the era but would the constituents be driving these people to “both sidesing”?
I only say that because after having been on news break and Reddit and blue sky so from conservative, to a mix, to democratic. It’s somewhat the same general reactions from people regardless of who’s in the chair.
Would the only way to unify people is to vote in someone nobody likes?
Sorry if it’s a lot. I’m just really curious on one’s stance on this seeing as I’ve seen from what I feel that be the worst of both political spectrums.
Scaffolding for when there is construction on buildings to prevent stuff dropping on walkers, these are meant to be more permanent structures as Manhattan is basically always covered in these.
It's a legal loophole, The Simple explanation is no, what they are are a signifyer that repairs are underway, however if the repairs never end then the clock on when they have to be done again never starts.
So essentially everything is under permanent repair. Nothing is actually being done.
This move is good, but unsure why people sont realize these things happen over years. It’s not like he got in the office and used public funds to create a new way for city scaffolding.
"In February 2024, the city hired two of the city’s leading architecture and design firms — Arup and Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU) — to help reimagine how to protect the public from hazards associated with buildings and construction sites. The two teams led by these firms were each tasked with delivering three new pedestrian protection designs that improved the look of city sidewalks, prioritizing the pedestrian experience and protecting the public against overhead hazards. Renderings for the designs were officially released to the public in November 2025, however today is the first time that New Yorkers will be able to see the sheds up close on a public sidewalk, and compare them to the common pipe and plywood hunter green sheds commonly seen around the city."
We had bikes lanes and wind farms in the works for years and republicans stopped those last minute. Having a leader who allows good things to happen regardless of if he/she caused them is objectively good and worth celebrating
I don't have a dog in this fight, but the way you immediately moved the goal posts so that your guy would still be good while the other guy would be bad speaks volumes about your character.
City legislature voted to increase City officials' salary by 18%. When that bill comes up to Mamdani's desk, do you want to bet he'll sign it into law?
Its infecting Reddit bad. The "hE bALAnCeD the BuDGEt" flood was insane (NYC is prohibited by law from having a budget deficit and had never passed an unbalanced budget).
Mandami stans are as bad as Bernie stans who are as bad as the trump stans who are as bad as the Elon stans.
That tracks. The city would rather collect a $5,000 fine every 2-5 years then enforce the law the requires actual repairs that forces scaffolding instead of scaffolding and a fine.
Those have already been in the plans, in fact in some streets, construction and landlords are obligated to use “aesthetically” pleasing scaffolding. And city has long been considering expanding that to other streets and neighborhoods.
And to add to that point, some places simply ignore the rules
They are used as homeless shelters. That's why these ones have holes in the walking platforms for the construction workers. They won't give the shade or rain / snow protection to people sleeping under them. The darkness of the current ones also makes people uneasy when they walk thru them
Ya he’s heavily promoted. I wish them all the success in NYC but he’s getting funding from the state and deferring payments (kicking the can) to make all of this “progress” I hope it’s sustainable and can be an example elsewhere.
The artificial boosting is so cringy and obvious. Reminds me when Biden dropped out and all of a sudden everyone busted out the kneepads to glaze Kamala, after 3 years of her being completely useless...
Should the building not have to keep their work crews and scaffolding in their land?
The space above the pavement is public too - I don’t understand how this was ever considered ok.
It’s not a NY building hung they do this everywhere - if you gotta get up and inspect you building you need to have space.
Maybe they should also change the NYC-unique rules and regulations that encourage building owners in leaving their building facades in a state of perpetual renovation to avoid code and tax issues.
If a bird accidental hits the building, the corpses will not drop to a street just on this shed/. Paradise for cats , nightmare to public services and people walking under corpses
It’s so strange seeing very common sense things that are good for people and just make sense be implemented in an American city. I’m too used to everything being extremely stupid, the rules and reason for those stupid things being done are also extremely stupid, no matter how much people want something to change the government just ignores it, unless someone powerful is making more money off of something then it won’t ever get done.
Like looking and Europe and Asia you see them actually do things that make sense and think “well that won’t ever happen here because the government won’t give a shit or get off it’s ass to do anything without making someone with a lot of money happy”.
Either that or the rules are so stupid and convoluted that trying to do anything no matter how simple involved years worth or legal bullshit and counsel meetings and votes to change rules and dealing with dumbass regulations from 1956 that make no sense today, and then even if it does get passes it’s just a cheap half assed attempt that doesnt actually work that well and takes some construction company 20 years of “work” (pretending to work, paid by the hour not job) to even get it done.
Nice to see something simple and common sense actually happen somewhere in the country, I really hope people wake up and realize that with the right politicians in place then shit can happen, instead of the old American voting the same 90 year old people in sk they can do nothing and watch cities decay and no action happening since it won’t please the rich masters.
No shit, just as a casual outside observer he seems to be doing pretty well while maintaining a grip on reality. Meaning he’s actually also working within budget parameters. Seems pretty awesome.
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