For better or for worse, the tall, skinny towers that have helped to remake New York’s iconic skyline appear to be growing in popularity among developers.
Matt A.V. Chaban of the New York Times reports on the skinny towers that have begun to sprout up around 56th and 57th streets, south of Central Park in what some have dubbed "Billionaires' Row." The new construction has seen the number of towers exceeding 1,000 feet jump from five to double that number in the past few years, with dozens more towers planned or under construction.
These slender cloud-busters would not have been built without the confluence of new technologies and wealthy buyers seeking a Manhattan address. Superstrong concrete and new wind testing made possible buildings like 432 Park, which, at 93 feet wide, is 15 times as tall as it is wide. In effect, developers now need only a lot the size of a brownstone or three to build a tower, rather than much of a block…
Opponents of the new towers believe developers are exploiting an out of date zoning code that allows for transfer of air rights. Chaban writes that opponents have complained that the new towers have led to overcrowding on subways and shadows falling on public spaces.
FULL STORY: As a New High Society Climbs in Manhattan, It’s a Race to the Top
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The Washington Post details the concern over the shadows cast by skyscrapers on the city street below. The latest high-profile case study of the ability of skyscrapers to block the sun: New York's Midtown.
World's Tallest Residential Building Nears Completion in Manhattan
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Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
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Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
Eviction Looms for Low-Income Tenants as Rent Debt Rises
Nonprofit housing operators across the country face almost $10 billion in rent debt.
Brightline West Breaks Ground
The high-speed rail line will link Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area.
Colorado Bans No-Fault Evictions
In most cases, landlords must provide a just cause for evicting tenants.
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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
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