A Rorschach Test for City Skylines

In a photo essay, Thomas J. Sigler interprets what the skylines of some of the world's most prominent cities say about their character.

1 minute read

August 24, 2012, 1:00 PM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


Is your city a "Power Broker" or an "Oligopolis?" Thomas Sigler asks the skylines of some of the world's most famous cities to sit on his analyst's couch and comes up with some interesting diagnosis.   

For instance, he attributes the surprisingly low-rise nature of Cairo, Mumbai, and Mexico City to a historically unreliable urban power grid, "which means that
elevators, water pumps, and other necessities of high-rise living were
untrustworthy."

Another type are cities like Taipei and Kuala Lumpur that seem to suffer from tower envy; and construct a single oversized icon to put themselves on the map.

So what is an Oligopolis? "Found primarily in North America, the Oligopolis is marked by the clear
dominance of a handful of prominent towers headquartering firms in the
region's key industries," writes Sigler. "A key feature of these cities' downtowns is
parking lots, a clear indication that CBD land isn't exactly in high
demand. Examples include Pittsburgh and Houston, where CBDs turn into
ghost towns after the districts' workforces have headed back to the
‘burbs for the evening."

Thursday, August 23, 2012 in The Atlantic Cities

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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