In Race to Be the Tallest, Who Has Final Say?

As developers around the world seek to steal the coveted title of "World's Tallest Building", Carl Bialik looks at what defines a building, and who gets to decide.

1 minute read

May 15, 2012, 7:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, based in Chigago, is generally recognized as the arbiter of height when it comes to the worldwide skyscraper competition. Although they set the categories and definitions by which buildings are judged against each other, "The answers aren't always clear in the race to the top, as shown this
week
by the news that One World Trade Center, the tower being erected at
New York's Ground Zero, may not qualify as the Western Hemisphere's
tallest building because plans to encase a rooftop antenna in fiberglass
and steel have been scrapped." 

Disputes have arisen over judgments on what constitutes a building's base and the difference between a spire and an antenna. "Antony Wood, CTBUH executive director, says it is up to users of the
council's data to decide on record holders. 'We don't choose the
tallest, the numbers do,' he says, adding, 'We have no axes to grind, or
bias. Our only goals are to be accurate and consistent.'"

 

Friday, May 11, 2012 in The Wall Street Journal

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

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

6 hours ago - Alan Mallach

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.

May 14, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Front of Walmart store with sign.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network

The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

May 7, 2025 - Inc.

Public Market sign over Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington with pop-up booths on street.

Seattle’s Pike Place Market Leans Into Pedestrian Infrastructure

After decades of debate, the market is testing a car ban in one of its busiest areas and adding walking links to the surrounding neighborhood.

5 hours ago - Cascade PBS

Yellow and silver light rain train in downtown Long Beach, California.

The World’s Longest Light Rail Line is in… Los Angeles?

In a city not known for its public transit, the 48.5-mile A Line is the longest of its kind on the planet.

7 hours ago - Secret Los Angeles

Man reaching for young girl sliding down playground slide.

Quantifying Social Infrastructure

New developments have clear rules for ensuring surrounding roads, water, and sewers can handle new users. Why not do the same for community amenities?

May 15 - Happy Cities