A cigarette-pack-shaped tower that will "breathe in air" to power the building? A Louisville skyscraper whose beauty is compared to the "gap between Lauren Hutton's teeth?" Proposed new towers are pushing the limits of height and good taste.
A surging global real estate market has emboldened often risk-averse contractors to propose increasingly ambitious and outlandish skyscraper designs. Technological advancements in design tools, construction techniques, and material fabrication are also freeing up investment dollars to reach further for the stars in tower height and design.
Among the most atypical skyscraper projects recently proposed include a tower for a Chinese tobacco company shaped like a cigarette pack that will "breathe" in air to generate power for the building. In Moscow, a planned $1.5 billion "vertical city for 25,000 people" hopes to be not only Europe's tallest skyscraper, but also the only modern building with a natural ventilation system.
In perhaps the wackiest design, a tower proposed for Louisville, Kentucky, looks like "a three-legged chair with a 22-story diagonal elevator that accesses a 'floating island in the sky' art museum."
[Editor's note: This story will be available online for seven days after publication.]
FULL STORY: Way Up and Far Out
San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
Detroit Transit Agency Requests $20M Budget Increase
The Detroit Department of Transportation wants to boost ridership by hiring more drivers, buying new buses, and enhancing station infrastructure.
California Bill Aims to Boost TOD
A bill proposed by Sen. Scott Wiener would exempt transit agencies from zoning rules near ‘high-quality’ transit stops and allow denser transit-oriented development.
Report: One-Fifth of Seattle Households Are Car-Free
According to one local writer, the city’s low rate of car ownership should encourage officials to support public transit and reduce parking minimums.
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.
Strategic Economics Inc
Resource Assistance for Rural Environments
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service