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.

Matt A.V. Chaban of the New York Times reports on the skinny towers that have begun to sprout up around 56th and 57th streets, south of Central Park in what some have dubbed "Billionaires' Row." The new construction has seen the number of towers exceeding 1,000 feet jump from five to double that number in the past few years, with dozens more towers planned or under construction.
These slender cloud-busters would not have been built without the confluence of new technologies and wealthy buyers seeking a Manhattan address. Superstrong concrete and new wind testing made possible buildings like 432 Park, which, at 93 feet wide, is 15 times as tall as it is wide. In effect, developers now need only a lot the size of a brownstone or three to build a tower, rather than much of a block…
Opponents of the new towers believe developers are exploiting an out of date zoning code that allows for transfer of air rights. Chaban writes that opponents have complained that the new towers have led to overcrowding on subways and shadows falling on public spaces.
FULL STORY: As a New High Society Climbs in Manhattan, It’s a Race to the Top

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

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

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Defunct Pittsburgh Power Plant to Become Residential Tower
A decommissioned steam heat plant will be redeveloped into almost 100 affordable housing units.

Trump Prompts Restructuring of Transportation Research Board in “Unprecedented Overreach”
The TRB has eliminated more than half of its committees including those focused on climate, equity, and cities.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train
The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.
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