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Lo que necesitamos es un toldo grande para la calle.

Lo que necesitamos es un toldo grande para la calle.
What we need is a big canopy for the street.
From Lesson 482:Emphasizing things and events (lo que)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Lo que necesitamos es un toldo grande para la calle.

Why use lo que necesitamos es instead of just saying necesitamos un toldo grande?
This structure is called a pseudo-cleft sentence, and we use it to add emphasis. By using lo que (what / the thing that) at the beginning, you build anticipation and focus the listener's attention specifically on the object that follows the verb es (un toldo grande). It highlights the exact thing that is needed.
Why can't I use qué instead of lo que to mean 'what' here?
Although qué translates to 'what' in questions (like ¿Qué necesitamos?), you cannot use it to mean 'what' in a statement like this. When 'what' means 'the thing that' or 'that which', you must use lo que.
Why do we use para instead of por in para la calle?
Para indicates purpose or destination here. The canopy is intended for the street. If you used por, por la calle would mean moving through or along the street, which doesn't fit the context of needing a stationary object for a specific location.
Why is the verb es singular when necesitamos is plural ('we need')?
The verb es doesn't link to the 'we' in necesitamos. Instead, it links the entire subject phrase lo que necesitamos (which is treated as a single, singular concept: 'the thing that we need') to the singular object un toldo grande.

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