Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat of the 21st Century: A Global Perspective

Abstract

The tall building is the most dominating symbol of the cities and a human-made marvel that defies gravity by reaching to the clouds. It embodies unrelenting human aspirations to build even higher. It conjures a number of valid questions in our minds. The foremost and fundamental question that is often asked: Why tall buildings? This review paper seeks to answer the question by laying out arguments against and for tall buildings. Then, it provides a brief account of the historic and recent developments of tall buildings including their status during the current economic recession. The paper argues that as cities continue to expand horizontally, to safeguard against their reaching an eventual breaking point, the tall building as a building type is a possible solution by way of conquering vertical space through agglomeration and densification. Case studies of some recently built tall buildings are discussed to illustrate the nature of tall building development in their respective cities. The paper attempts to dispel any discernment about tall buildings as mere pieces of art and architecture by emphasizing their truly speculative, technological, sustainable, and evolving nature. It concludes by projecting a vision of tall buildings and their integration into the cities of the 21st century

The Vertical Farm: A Review of Developments and Implications for the Vertical City

“…That is, since the vertical farm product is not soil-based, it is likely to be not affected by polluted soil or irrigation water. Further, vertical farm's crops are rich in nutrients [106,107]. Moreover, being close to nature helps to reduce stress and has positive influence on mental health.…”

“…However, the issue of affordability is salient in central cities where land and space are expensive. For example, central areas in major cities in Hong Kong, Australia (e.g., Melbourne, Sydney), United Kingdom (e.g., London) have very expensive real estate, which presents an economic difficulty at the commercial scale [107]. However, some major cities such as New York and Chicago have sizable stocks of vacant older properties that could be repurposed into vertical farming.…”

“…Martin's research indicates an imbalance between vertical farms' production and their catchment areas, where many of population reside in these areas are underserve. They found that in the near future, urban food will continue to come from distant rural areas [98,107].…”

Applying the Vernacular Model to High-Rise Residential Development in the Middle East and North Africa

“…High-rise developments create a challenging environment, with both benefits and impacts, as compared to other types of horizontal constructions (Ali and Al-Kodmany, 2012). Benefits such as preserving natural and green spaces in the city, and locating various services within suitable walking distances from units, could be achieved.…”

High-Rise Buildings Aspects and Significant Impacts in Urban Areas

“…In societies where living in a high-rise is the norm, local culture will have no problem with adding new tall buildings‖ (Ali & Al-Kodmany, 2012). Many researchers illustrate that living in apartments has a socio-psychological impacts.…”