If you never knew, or thought you knew, the reason why there are no skyscrapers in the middle of the Big Apple, Matt Chaban reports on the true cause, debunking a popular myth.
Popular lore had it that the bedrock sitting just below the surface of much of the island, and providing the ideal foundation for tall buildings, falls away in its "gooey middle": thus no skyscrapers.
Not so says Chaban, reporting on the results of a recent study that appeared in The Journal of Economic History, debunking the "Manhattan bedrock myth." "Using 173 random core samples from the Battery to Central Park South, Mr. [Jason] Barr, Troy Tassier and Rossen Trendafilov were able to show that there was no correlation between the depth of bedrock and the likelihood of a skyscrapers construction..."
The authors hypothesize that the true cause of the skyline dip is "not an issue of supply, of where you can build. It's an issue of demand, or where you want to build."
FULL STORY: Uncanny Valley: The Real Reason There Are No Skyscrapers in the Middle of Manhattan
World's Tallest Residential Building Nears Completion in Manhattan
Central Park Tower, coming soon to New York City's "Billionaires' Row" was designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill architecture.
Vote for New York City's 'Building of the Year'
New York is still a place of bold architecture.
Court Will Decide Whether to Reduce NYC Skyscraper's Height
The new skyscraper being built at 200 Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan might be forced by an appeals court to remove 20 floors of the mostly complete building.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Coming Soon to Ohio: The Largest Agrivoltaic Farm in the US
The ambitious 6,000-acre project will combine an 800-watt solar farm with crop and livestock production.
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.
California Grid Runs on 100% Renewable Energy for Over 9 Hours
The state’s energy grid was entirely powered by clean energy for some portion of the day on 37 out of the last 45 days.
New Forecasting Tool Aims to Reduce Heat-Related Deaths
Two federal agencies launched a new, easy-to-use, color-coded heat warning system that combines meteorological and medical risk factors.
AI Traffic Management Comes to Dallas-Fort Worth
Several Texas cities are using an AI-powered platform called NoTraffic to help manage traffic signals to increase safety and improve traffic flow.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.
