UK Cities Planning New Wave Of Skyscrapers

British planners have green-lighted a dizzying array of new high-rise projects, though some question the benefits of building tall.

1 minute read

March 10, 2007, 9:00 AM PST

By Christian Madera @http://www.twitter.com/cpmadera


"Look up and take note - Britain's urban landscape is changing. Fast.

Liverpool is the latest city to unveil proposals (pictured above) to build big and build high. The £5.5bn plan for its famous waterfront includes more than 50 high rise buildings, some more than 50 storeys.

In Leeds and Manchester, planners have rubber-stamped proposals for skyscrapers which will be just shy of 200m. Further down the line, a 280-metre observation tower has been mooted for Birmingham.

London's appetite for skyscrapers is well known, but when, three years ago, construction workers topped off Liverpool's 90-metre Beetham Tower, they unwittingly started a trend for regional cities to build high. The tower has since been dwarfed by one in Manchester, of the same name (171m).

For decades the UK has preferred to keep its tall buildings commercial...But this latest trend is largely residential, despite the memories of the concrete tower blocks some of which are still being demolished. So what's stimulated this dash to build high?"

Thursday, March 8, 2007 in BBC News

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

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 18, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of Shirley Chisholm Village four-story housing development with person biking in front.

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning

SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

June 8, 2025 - Fast Company

Woman and young girl looking at subway map, woman pointing.

Can We Please Give Communities the Design They Deserve?

Often an afterthought, graphic design impacts everything from how we navigate a city to how we feel about it. One designer argues: the people deserve better.

June 9, 2025 - John Pobojewski

Map of EV charging ports in rural U.S. communities.

The EV “Charging Divide” Plaguing Rural America

With “the deck stacked” against rural areas, will the great electric American road trip ever be a reality?

June 20 - The Daily Yonder

Google street view of Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn with pedestrians crossing a crosswalk and cyclist in the bike lane.

Judge Halts Brooklyn Bike Lane Removal

Lawyers must prove the city was not acting “arbitrarily, capriciously, and illegally” in ordering the hasty removal.

June 20 - StreetsBlog NYC

Close-up of cracked and damaged two-lane roadway with double yellow stripes on a bright sunny day.

Engineers Gave America's Roads an Almost Failing Grade — Why Aren't We Fixing Them?

With over a trillion dollars spent on roads that are still falling apart, advocates propose a new “fix it first” framework.

June 19 - Transportation for America