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?
Wendover made a short video about that: 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.
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/
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,2...
[2]https://www.google.com/maps/@40.7589834,-73.9748391,3a,75y,1...
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.