Are Skyscrapers Overrated? (downtown, Boston, major, compared)
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“Instead of focusing on the grand vision, we need to focus on the grand adjustment,” Saffron said. “We need to stop measuring our worth by skyscrapers and mega-projects.”
Best quote from the story.
Last edited by HandsUpThumbsDown; 12-31-2012 at 09:10 AM..
Or brother. The folks that think there is anyone in Dubai or Kula Lampur or Bejing that gives a second thought to how much their shiny new flat screen TV and super cold air conditioner effects their carbon footprint are sadly out of touch. The fact is many cities in the US don't need office towers or dense residential developments but for all the dreamers that crave more public transit and high speed have to realize those only come with dense decelopements
Dense development does not necessarily equal highrise. Jane Jacobs argued that the most efficient building height--considering building envelope compared to usable residential area--was 6 stories. It certainly gets much more expensive to build above that height, and you need more expensive systems--more elevators, water pumps etc. Building highrises only works economically if someone--resident or office user--is willing to pay more money in order to have a view.
To get density, there are two models. One is to build everything up to a moderate allowable height, like in Washington D.C., where I believe the maximum height is about 12 stories. Only the central part of the city is built that tall, outer areas are much lower. The other is the New York pattern, where you have some very tall buildings surrounded by a mass of 4-6 story ones. Consider that in transit/walk/bike friendly San Francisco, the second densest major city in the country,
only a small percentage of residents live in highrises.
The article mentioned Philadelphia, which still has quite a lot of abandonned buildings and vacant land, so putting those to use and patching up the urban fabric may very well do more for Philadelphia than skyscrapers. Many other American cities are similar to Philadelphia, with a large supply of land near downtown that is vacant, parking lots, or low density and could be built up to rowhouse or midrise densities. In a few other American cities though, like San Francisco, New York, Boston and DC, as well as Canadian, Australian and European cities, there is more pressure to build up. Admittedly many European cities are not growing very fast, but larger buildings are desirable for office uses, and some people might be interested in the view provided by highrises.
“Instead of focusing on the grand vision, we need to focus on the grand adjustment,” Saffron said. “We need to stop measuring our worth by skyscrapers and mega-projects.”
Best quote from the story.
The worldview of a tired old man. Adjustment to what? Stagnation, stasis, and death? While Philadelphia needs another skyscraper the way former mayor Rendell needs another cheesesteak, talking about "adjustment" and setting oneself as the adult compared to the growing (Asian) world's adolescence just means you've given up on greatness.
(And I noticed Saffron continues her campaign to cut I-95... not going to happen, Inga. Why don't you go develop the waterfront in Fishtown instead?)
The worldview of a tired old man. Adjustment to what? Stagnation, stasis, and death? While Philadelphia needs another skyscraper the way former mayor Rendell needs another cheesesteak, talking about "adjustment" and setting oneself as the adult compared to the growing (Asian) world's adolescence just means you've given up on greatness.
?
Does the greatness of all the skyscrapers in Chicago make up for 500 murders?
Context matters with skyscrapers, as with everything else. There's Vancouver, B.C., where elegant skyscrapers meet the ground with lower floors that enhance streetlife. These buildings are set in blocks with nearby parks and calmed traffic. Then there's Miami, where skyscrapers almost invariably meet the ground with multi-story parking garages. Two or three blocks away there are vacant lots. Skyscrapers don't substitute for reknitting the urban fabric, in Philadelphia or anywhere else.
It has nothing to do with it either way. I only claim that once you settle for "adjustment", you've given up any hope of greatness.
Interesting.
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