The Washington Post performs a sort of reverse archaeology: looking skyward to the heights of building for a record of the country's economic fortunes.
Emily Badger examines the influence of economics on city skylines, or "how construction costs and condo prices shape the skyline, how building booms chase business cycles, why new record-breaking towers reach the heights they do."
Badger is sharing the work of Jason Barr, an economist and author who calls his area of study "skynomics." Barr's new book, Building the Skyline: The birth and growth of Manhattan's skyscrapers, and the article focus specifically on New York City. Depending on the era, according to the timeline laid out in this article, the economy pushed the development of skyscrapers for different reasons. One pattern Barr has noticed shared by those eras: "Periods of extreme income inequality in the U.S. have occurred alongside the growth of New York's skyline."
FULL STORY: How skyscrapers reveal the rise and fall of American fortunes
20 Years After 9/11: The 'Age of Skyscrapers' Is Nowhere Near Over
Despite predictions that the events of September 11, 2001 would be the end of skyscrapers, U.S. cities are building more tall buildings than ever.
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.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
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.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
Vehicle-related Deaths Drop 29% in Richmond, VA
The seventh year of the city's Vision Zero strategy also cut the number of people killed in alcohol-related crashes by half.
Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars
Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.
As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)