From the start, we believed Urban Umbrella had potential beyond scaffolding. The idea was always bigger…It was about urban planning and adding economic and symbolic value to the community. When the pandemic hit and businesses moved their operations outside, we knew we could create a safe, elegant solution to shoddy pop-up tents just as we had done with scaffolding.

We designed a customizable “COVID-19 Comeback Kit” with a suite of solutions that includes outdoor heaters, hand sanitizer dispensers, and curbside pick-up lockers to help offices, retailers, grocery stores, restaurateurs, hospitals, and schools stay in business safely.

We partnered with Brooklyn Lab Charter School and leading architecture firms to unveil a new “Front Porch” urban design concept. The Urban Umbrella is being used to create a more orderly area for student 
drop-offs, temperature screenings, and controlled entry and exit from the building. 

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We’re rapidly bringing Urban Umbrella into a new market for non-commercial use. In these challenging times, businesses need access to every tool that will bring traffic.

Our bright, airy sidewalk canopies are equipped to add heat lamps, custom lighting, and prominent high-quality signage. With this, we can build tasteful outdoor spaces, providing hard-hit businesses like restaurants, retail, and fitness clubs the opportunity to continue serving customers while following safety protocol. 

During COVID, the urban space in New York City has changed, and the sidewalk has become the place where commerce is conducted, where meetings are being held, and where people are eating. We’ll start seeing public space used differently over the next couple of years, and that includes shutting down streets for restaurants and allowing temporary structures for retail and restaurant use and for schools.