NYC offers $10,000 prize in competition to build snappier, airier sidewalk barriers

NYC offers $10K prize for snappier sidewalk sheds

NEW YORK — New York City officials want to spruce up the sidewalk barriers built to protect pedestrians when buildings are under construction or repair.

The city Buildings Department and the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects launched a competition Thursday to elicit a snappier, airier design for sidewalk sheds. The winner will be announced in December and will receive a $10,000 prize.

Utilitarian barriers currently cover more than 1 million feet of sidewalk around the city, shielding passers-by from debris.

Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri says the structures are crucial safety tools but “can also hide the city’s breathtaking architecture.”