Skyscrapers

New Year's Eve Fire in Dubai Hotel Casts Doubt on Safety of Mideast High-Rises

The Address Downtown hotel, a 63-story, mixed-use high-rise very close to the world's tallest building, went up in flames on Dec. 31, raising questions about other high-rises that use the same heavy cladding material building on the exterior.

January 4, 2016 - Reuters

Central Park Aerial

New York City's Skyline Evolves With Tall, Skinny Towers

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.

December 29, 2015 - New York Times

Track the Cycles of New York's Skyscraper Habit

Much has been made of New York's current boom in high-rise construction. A new interactive feature by the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat allows for some historic perspective on the city's penchant for building skyward.

November 3, 2015 - CityLab

Looking to the Skyscraper: Two High-Rises Proposed for Camden Waterfront

Camden, New Jersey, is not known for its skyscrapers, but that could change if the development of a site just south of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge is approved.

October 19, 2015 - The Architect's Newspaper

London Skyline

How to Reimagine the Skyscraper (and Why)

An essay identifies imperatives for a new theory of tall, dense construction, and begins to sketch out a theory that will reconcile the skyscraper with contemporary business ideals.

October 8, 2015 - Medium

The Shard London

Skyscrapers as the Enemy of Cities

An op-ed in The Globe and Mail expresses animosity for the wave of skyscraper construction in old world cities like London.

September 26, 2015 - The Globe and Mail

Brooklyn Brownstones

A Tower the Height of the Empire State Building…in Brooklyn

The wave of skyscraper construction in New York is about to jump the East River.

August 6, 2015 - Crain's New York Business

The Sun Also Hides Behind Skyscrapers

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.

May 5, 2015 - The Washington Post

Dusk High Rises

Designing the Shadow-less Skyscraper

Architects at NBBJ in London have designed a building—two buildings rather—that work together to cancel out the shadows they cast.

March 28, 2015 - Wired

Burj Khalifa

On a Potential Mile-High Skyscraper

A New York magazine article examines the idea of the mile-high skyscraper. Once imagined by Frank Lloyd Wright but impossible to build, the idea is not science fiction anymore.

March 26, 2015 - New York Magazine

Not 'The One' and Done—Toronto Amidst a Skyscraper Building Boom

Toronto has been the hottest scene In North America for skyscrapers in recent years, leading to comparisons to New York of the 1920s. Here's a look at a new wave of expected skyscrapers in Toronto.

March 17, 2015 - Urban Toronto

Empire State Building Base

High-Rises and Streetlife

The common claim that "high-rises kill streetlife" is often incorrect.

January 23, 2015 - Michael Lewyn

Southern Brooklyn Experiencing a Bonafide Skyscraper Boom

A lot of noise has been made of the potential skyscraper boom in Manhattan. Very quietly, however, Brooklyn has also become a target for a series of skyward development plans.

January 21, 2015 - New York YIMBY

The Dramatic Evolution of Toronto's Skyline

An image comparing the present day with Toronto from only 13 years ago has some comparing the Canadian city to New York in the 1920s.

January 20, 2015 - National Post

Manhattan FAR

Outcry Over Manhattan's Latest 'Supertall' Developments

An article in The Guardian argues the side of New Yorkers opposed to a new round of high-rise development proposed for Manhattan.

January 18, 2015 - The Guardian Cities

Cleveland Aerial

Cleveland Skyscraper Design—with a Bridge at the 18th Floor—Raises Zoning Issues

A 54-story building currently under review in Cleveland would be city's the first skyscraper in a quarter-century—if it gains approval for some unique design components.

January 15, 2015 - The Cleveland Plain Dealer

Report: 2014 the 'Tallest Year Ever' for New Skyscrapers

The heights of the building envelope saw unprecedented expansion in 2014.

January 13, 2015 - Dezeen

Central Park Aerial

A New Era of Skyscrapers in New York

New York magazine examines the latest wave of skyscraper development in New York City for the possibility that they might embody the highest outcomes of form and function.

December 21, 2014 - New York

London Skyline

The Dangers of Building Too Tall

An article by Steven Snell summarizes the drawbacks of building vertical cities.

August 9, 2014 - Fast Forward Weekly

Skyscraper Envy?

Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) expressed irritation that Chicago is no longer a world-class city when it comes to building heights. The issue arose during a Senate floor discussion on the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act. Chicago's Willis Tower ranks #11.

July 18, 2014 - Politico

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Websites

The best of the Internet—since 2002.

Top Apps

Planning apps for a brave new world.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.