An urban canyon at 42nd Street, Midtown Manhattan, New York City
The same Manhattan street seen from within, with many buildings much taller than the width of the road
An urban canyon (also known as a street canyon or skyscraper canyon) is a place where the street is flanked by buildings on both sides creating a canyon-like environment, evolved etymologically from the Canyon of Heroes in Manhattan. Such human-built canyons are made when streets separate dense blocks of structures, especially skyscrapers. Other examples include the Magnificent Mile in Chicago, Los Angeles' Wilshire Boulevard corridor, Toronto's Financial District, and Hong Kong's Kowloon and Central districts.
Urban canyons affect various local conditions, including temperature, wind, light, air quality, and radio reception, including satellite navigation signals.