Why did renowned green architect Ken Yeang say this? (alternative energy, cost, environment)

[City_boi]

Ken Yeang, a renowned green architect who designs green skyscrapers and wrote many books on them said that "the skyscraper building type is probably the most ecologically unfriendly of all building types, but until an economically viable alternative is identified, it is necessary to make them as humane and as sustainable as possible." Why does he think they are the most ecologically unfriendly? What are your thoughts?
(Look up the book "Eco Skyscrapers" on Amazon.com and scroll down to the Product Description)

[GregW]

Sheer concentration of people, energy demand, cars, congestion, high energy building materials, food consumption, wastes disposal and several others related to density.

Given the revolution in communications provided by the internet and related technologies I think the skyscraper is no longer an appropriate way of doing business. There is simply no longer any real need to concentrate bunches of bureaucrats in a big box. The work can just as well be done in dispersed locations utilizing electronic communications.

The problem with a dispersed work force is created by the managerial need for direct control and personal gratification. The managers cannot as effectively bully a dispersed workforce even though the nagging actually decreases production. Sky scrapers also answer the managers’, particularly top managements’, need to be, literally above all the peons. This displays their power and control. Besides the very shape of a skyscraper provides an unsubtle symbol of the executive’s sexual domination.

An old mill building can provide the same amount of space as a skyscraper at a far lower price and operating cost but it does not feed the executive ego. This is why old industrial buildings are abandoned and new, vastly more expensive and less profitable, skyscrapers are still being designed and built.

[City_boi]

Have you ever heard of sprawl and about what it can do to the environment?!?!?!!?!!??!! I disagree w/ what you said.

[Noahma]

utilizing many smaller buildings on ground level uses much less materials than what is required in the creation of a tower. Not only that, but the energy used in the creation of the plans alone for these things is astronomical. they require thousands and thousands of design hours, which use electricity, forests of paper, not to mention the travel to and from meetings for workers. Smaller buddings use the fraction of the energy for design do to the low complexity of the design. These towers also create HUGE shadows in which alternative energy's can be placed, they require HUGE systems to and amounts of energy to keep the building operational.

[domergurl]

I think it's silly that he designs green skyscrapers, yet derides them .. dude, make up your mind, or admit that you're a hypocrite.