How will future skylines change?

[BuffaloBill]

Skyscrapers becoming obsolete?

 

Buffalo at one time led the nation in “tall buildings.” This was clearly in the early days of “going to the office” for work. With more individuals working fully remotely or in some sort of hybrid arrangements the need for tall anthills is declining. How Mai get this change cities in the future?

 

 

[ExiledInIllinois]

You were in Chicago.  Trivia... Do you know the decade where the most buildings went up in Chicago and the skyline changed the most?

 

I was shocked to find out the answer when I read it.

 

Good article:

 

https://www.commercialcafe.com/blog/current-skyscraper-building-boom-falls-short-of-eighties/

 

48 went up in Chicago during the prolific 1980s...

 

Maybe coming from BFLo where the bottom fell out in 1979, wouldn't have thought others did so well...

[Augie]

11 minutes ago, BuffaloBill said:

Skyscrapers becoming obsolete?

 

Buffalo at one time led the nation in “tall buildings.” This was clearly in the early days of “going to the office” for work. With more individuals working fully remotely or in some sort of hybrid arrangements the need for tall anthills is declining. How Mai get this change cities in the future?

 

 

 

I don’t know how it’s going to evolve, but we have a son still in his 20’s and it will affect those people the most. He’s spent about half of his working life at home and he’s been spoiled by the Covid work from home life style. He argues, correctly I believe, that he is MORE productive working from home. He lives near us in Atlanta, and one hour daily is generally considered a light commute. He could be working instead, and save his company on office space. 

 

My wife, on the other hand, has heard from those up top that it is time to get back to the office, and she mostly agrees. She deals with people and feels she’s more effective when it’s in person. She was in Boston and Philly last week, and NYC this week. She misses the interaction and it’s her job to inspire others. That is harder to do on a screen in your extra bedroom. 

 

I think it will come back, but there will be far less new construction of commercial high rises. They will be happy to fill the space they already have, so I think the actual skylines will not change as much from commercial construction as residential construction. Many people moved away from city centers, but I think that will come back more than the commercial space. 

[LeGOATski]

At the same time, the need for tall residential buildings seems to be going up. The concept if 'build up, not out' should still be relevant.

[Nextmanup]

15 hours ago, LeGOATski said:

At the same time, the need for tall residential buildings seems to be going up. The concept if 'build up, not out' should still be relevant.

It's relevant in the sense that land costs money, so you can always build up a lot cheaper than you can build out.

 

But the main point stands, and that is that society is changing away from a need for densely packed urban centers.

 

I have thought about this for years.  The idea of the "big city" is kind of outdated in some aspects.  Also, most big cities are OLD cities and that means they are built on water...and that water is a major disruptor to traffic patterns, making high traffic areas that much worse....all totally unnecessarily so in the 21st century.

 

I wonder if, in another couple hundred years, "big cities" will naturally break up as populations disperse in an effort to find more space and an affordable price.

 

 

[LeGOATski]

5 hours ago, Nextmanup said:

It's relevant in the sense that land costs money, so you can always build up a lot cheaper than you can build out.

 

But the main point stands, and that is that society is changing away from a need for densely packed urban centers.

 

I have thought about this for years.  The idea of the "big city" is kind of outdated in some aspects.  Also, most big cities are OLD cities and that means they are built on water...and that water is a major disruptor to traffic patterns, making high traffic areas that much worse....all totally unnecessarily so in the 21st century.

 

I wonder if, in another couple hundred years, "big cities" will naturally break up as populations disperse in an effort to find more space and an affordable price.

 

 

I don't think society is changing that way. Populations continue to grow and condense all around the world. Business centers may be changing in the manner you speak of. Demographics may be change as a result. But cities will always maintain a huge pull factor for social/entertainment/geographical reasons. I think that just means skylines don't change or maybe they continue building up (which is smarter, imo). That typical dystopian image of large high rises is still the future, but hopefully not as depressing. Actively trying to geographically flatten out the population is backwards thinking, imo. We should be growing our "anthills" as a previous poster put it, while protecting and rejuvenating our rural natural spaces.