It costs a lot of money to build tall, therefore when land values are high, it's relatively easy to produce enough money to cover the expense of climbing high. Land prices tend to be high in one particular district, which is why, in general, skyscrapers begin to cluster. This is called a downtown area.
The reason why Chicago has so many tall buildings is because there is a lot of money to be made. The city is located at the center of a large metropolitan area, which makes it an important transportation hub. There is also a strong economy based on finance and manufacturing. In addition, the location is close to water, which is useful for shipping.
There is only 1 square mile of land area in Chicago, but it contains over 50 percent of the city's tallest buildings. The reason for this is that real estate is very expensive here. It's difficult to find cheap property within walking distance of the city center.
Most cities around the world don't have this problem because they have less expensive land and/or a more distributed population center. Downtown areas tend to be crowded while suburban neighborhoods are usually less populated.
Chicago is unique in that there is no traditional downtown area. Instead, there are a number of small neighborhood centers with lots of shops and restaurants. This makes visiting different parts of the city interesting because you won't get bored of seeing the same old thing over and over again.
"Skyscrapers were developed in the city center (eventually both centers) because the benefits of urban agglomeration boosted rents..." - Professor Richard Sennett.
The first skyscraper was built in New York in 1841. Since then, over 100 more have been constructed, most recently in 2008 when One World Trade Center was completed. Today, New York is famous for its tall buildings - some consider it to be an architecture capital of the world. There are several reasons why so many skyscrapers were built here: the size of the market, the quality of the construction material, and the desire of builders to be the first to create a high-rise building.
In conclusion, yes, New York has too many skyscrapers.
High-rise structures may be utilized to address congestion difficulties and a shortage of development land; nevertheless, towering buildings are sometimes more about power, prestige, and aesthetics than effective growth. High-rises are commonly used in cities around the world, especially in Asia and South America.
The demand for housing has increased dramatically over the last few decades, yet the number of available plots within urban areas is limited. This has led to the emergence of tall buildings, which use up much-needed space and prevent further expansion of cities.
They're also expensive to build. The cost of reaching new heights increases rapidly as building sizes increase. This means that developers need to find ways to make high-rise construction economical enough to be competitive with other forms of development.
There's another reason why we might want to limit skyscraper growth: aesthetics. Many people dislike the appearance of tall buildings, which can be intimidating or uncomfortable for residents who live nearby. Some countries have enacted height restrictions to protect their skyline colors. Germany, for example, prohibits buildings greater than 120 meters (394 feet) high, while England limits itself to 60 stories.
These rules are intended to preserve the beauty of major European cities by preventing buildings from becoming too dominant visually. They also encourage development of small office spaces, which are less conspicuous than one giant tower.
Tall structures enhance developers' revenues. The taller a structure rises, however, the more expensive its construction. Tall buildings raise the value of neighboring land, making the preservation of historic structures and inexpensive housing more difficult. They exacerbate inequality in this way. The rich can afford to live in tall buildings, while the poor are forced into cramped accommodations.
In addition, they present an increased risk of disaster. A high-rise building has greater potential damage if it collapses due to structural failure or acts of terrorism. People living in these buildings are therefore at greater risk of death or injury than those living in lower buildings. There have been many disasters related to tall buildings, such as the Chicago fire of 1871, which killed over 100 people, or the September 11 attacks, which destroyed the World Trade Center towers and caused damages estimated at $20 billion - both examples being terrorist acts.
Finally, they use up valuable urban space. In cities around the world, available land is increasingly scarce, so any new development requires the removal of something else. When that something else is a low-rise building, then the city has room for more high-rises; but when it's a historic district or large-scale public infrastructure project, this option isn't available.
In conclusion, tall buildings tend to be more profitable for developers, which leads to more of them being built.
Tall structures, as urbanisation increases, give a choice of housing and office possibilities, allowing a city to thrive without increasing its limits or intruding on green space or farmland. Cities around the world are increasingly building tall structures, many more than 100 metres (330 feet) high, which provide much-needed housing while keeping traffic levels down by providing new opportunities for residents to avoid it.
The reasons people move to cities in the first place is because they can find work there. In order to do this, it must be possible to get to the city from wherever you are living now. A good way of doing this is by walking or taking public transport. If you can't do this easily, then you will need a car. Cities are made up of different areas: some central, with lots of shops and restaurants, others more isolated where only people who live there can go. Housing in cities is generally divided up into two types: apartments and houses. Apartments are often found in large concrete blocks surrounded by a garden or parking lot, while houses tend to be single-story structures with rooms arranged around a front yard. Both types of property can be expensive; depending on how far away it is from other similar properties, a house may cost up to 10 times as much as an apartment.
The reason for this is actually pretty simple: historical (medieval and Renaissance) skylines must be conserved under German law since they are part of German cultural heritage. As a result, towering constructions such as skyliners are not permitted. Frankfurt is the only city in Germany with skyscrapers!
There are plans to change this rule but so far none have been approved by government agencies responsible for protecting Germany's historic cities.
In addition to being a legal requirement, there is also a practical reason why German cities do not have many high-rise buildings. Land prices in major European cities like Berlin or London are too high for developers to build anything larger than small apartments or offices. In Germany, land is much more expensive so builders can only afford to create small units that are likely to be sold quickly before their price tag becomes too high.
There are some large office buildings in Germany's industrial cities but they generally lack luxury amenities found in big European metros such as Berlin or London. The main reason for this is that people working in these facilities don't need rooms with beautiful views or spacious bathrooms. They are usually occupied by companies that sell products or services directly to consumers rather than businesses that need to maximize their space.
Berlin has more than 500 skyscrapers outside of China but they make up only 1% of the German capital's total built-up area.