Hi!, I'm studying architecture and I have to make a work for the subject "introduction to the urban planning", the tittle is "The skyscrapers and the cities", and the purpose of the work is to research on how the skyscrapers influence to the rest of their cities/boroughs/street in al aspects (quality of life, transports, visual impact, tourist atraction, ecology, whealthy, etc.), so I would like everybody here to tell me what do you know about this, maybe you could tell me how the construction of a skyscraper/s in your city has changed the area around it, the before and after, whether your city hall support te construction of skyscrapers or not, what do the people in your city think about the construction of office/residential skyscrapers, what are the differences between the "tallests" boroughs of your cities and the "lower" (with same or different density), the way the skyscrapers are located in your city (in business districts, in high-density neighbourhoods, in the middle of low density neighbourhoods together with low rise buildings...), etc....
Please tell me everything that comes to your mind that have something to do with this, and have in mind that with "skyscraper" I mean something taller than average, it could be a 16 storey building in a town were the rest of buildings are 3-5 storeys.
And please tell me if you know any website or publication that could help me.
Thank you very much!>
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Cities on the RISE!
Posted by alexcan@SSP
Cities on the rise
(From Lonely Planet BLUELIST 2007)
THE new edition of Lonely Planet BLUELIST 2007 has just been released. This annual book reveals what's hot and happening in travel for the coming year. This week, we look at the emerging cities set to stand on the world stage in the year ahead, according to Lonely Planet.
1. CHONGQING, CHINA
With an urban population of more than 12 million, Chongqing is a big city with even bigger plans, most of them related to the hype connected to the Three Gorges Dam. It already rates as the chief industrial city of southwestern China. Perched on the steep hills overlooking the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers, it's one of China's more unusual cities, as dusty tenements and gleaming office towers cling to the side of the steep hills that make up most of the city centre. Something immediately noticeable is the absence of bicycles – all those hills would make for a coronary.
2. DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Currently the fastest-growing city in the world, Dubai is a million things, depending on who you are and why you're here. For many of the more than five million visitors who fly into its sleek airport every year, it's a flashy, fun, often surreal yet uniquely Arabian city, with year-round sunshine, stunning five-star beach hotels, endless shopping, bubbling nightlife and world-class sports events. For Emiratis, it's a city that shows the rest of the world what an Arabic nation is capable of when given an opportunity to shine.
3. TALLINN, ESTONIA
The 1990s saw Tallinn transformed into a contemporary mid-sized city, with a beautifully restored Old Town and a modern business district surrounding it. Today, a look around the centre indicates that the city is booming. It boasts 14th-century dwellings that have been given new life by its imaginative populace. The flair of the streets is decidedly fashion-forward, with boutiques bearing the imprint of rising Estonian designers, in contrast with centuries-old artisan traditions. The capital also boasts the largest wine cellars in the Baltics and plenty of medieval settings in which to imbibe.
4. LUANG PRABANG, LAOS
Northern Laos' stunning city has been regulated in its development and as a result, has retained its character and sense of isolation. Its incredible French colonial architecture, delicate Buddhist wat and backdrop of emerald green mountains make it a travel photographer's dream. Placed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1995, the once sleepy riverside city has become gentrified at a manageable pace. Restoration works and a tourism boom are assuring its ability to remain a postcard-perfect illustration of historic Indochina.
5. RIGA, LATVIA
Growing up as the big boy of the Baltics, Riga has always been a major metropolis with a proper big-city atmosphere hard to find elsewhere in the region. A pulsating place, its magnetism traps travellers long after their planned departure date. Once dubbed the "Paris of the East", it's building so fast that UNESCO has warned Riga it may withdraw its special protected status, due to the number of glittering glass hotels and business centres springing up faster than you can say "bring me the tourist dollar on a platter, and make it snappy".
6. VILNIUS, LITHUANIA
An incredibly small place (can this really be a capital city?), Lithuania's hub seduces visitors with astonishing old town charm. UNESCO has declared this, Europe's largest baroque old town, a World Heritage site. It's home to an eccentric artist community: where else could there be the world's only statue of psychedelic musician and composer Frank Zappa? Change has swept through with flair and panache. Using foreign cash and local vision, this stylish little city has big plans. But new business and infrastructure – even a skyscraper skyline – won't disguise its curious charm.
7. WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND
One of the world's cold-yet-cultural cities, New Zealand's capital is gaining in reputation as a place to be in the southern hemisphere. Why does this windy city foster an artistic culture? Maybe because it's somewhat isolated, sitting at the southern end of the North Island with a contemplative view over Cook Strait. Maybe, due for NZ's next big earthquake, it's busy living for the moment. Whatever the ingredients, youthful energy abounds – hip-hop dance-offs, plenty of live music and cafés, fashionable bars and bookshops. More beautiful than Seattle or Melbourne, the starry night is clearly young here.
8. BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND
A walk through the streets of Belfast late in the day seems to confirm the image of a place battened down and beleaguered by years of religious politics and violence. Yet Belfast recently celebrated the City Hall's 100th birthday with one of its biggest carnivals. It's possible to get a decent coffee, and the central mall these days seems like a smaller version of shopping districts elsewhere. Most symbolic of change is the latest wall mural, which depicts a unifying figure, the footballer George Best, rather than images of difference.
9. BELGRADE, SERBIA
It's not just the ridiculously cheap prices; this Serbian city has an infectious energy and a populace that's unfailingly friendly, mad about music and up for a big night out. A devastating combination of Nazi bombing and postwar central planning has given once-handsome Belgrade the architectural equivalent of a cauliflower ear and a crooked nose. Look beyond the carbuncular concrete, however, and you'll discover compelling reasons to stay. The sensationally located, unspoiled Kalemegdan Citadel is one. Spend more than a day here and you'll also realise why Belgrade is a burgeoning party destination.
10. PERTH, AUSTRALIA
Step off the plane in the most remote city of its size in the world and you'll feel the freedom: it's a big possible sky out here. The capital of Western Australia has got it good and it knows it. Due to resource-rich soils and a tenacious – and controversial – mining industry, the quality of life here is as obvious as a boat parked in front of a beach mansion. Liquid amber's just another local commodity: every week, year round, people queue to get into local beer gardens for the Sunday Sesh (session). No wonder there are still motions to secede.>
Cities on the rise
(From Lonely Planet BLUELIST 2007)
THE new edition of Lonely Planet BLUELIST 2007 has just been released. This annual book reveals what's hot and happening in travel for the coming year. This week, we look at the emerging cities set to stand on the world stage in the year ahead, according to Lonely Planet.
1. CHONGQING, CHINA
With an urban population of more than 12 million, Chongqing is a big city with even bigger plans, most of them related to the hype connected to the Three Gorges Dam. It already rates as the chief industrial city of southwestern China. Perched on the steep hills overlooking the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers, it's one of China's more unusual cities, as dusty tenements and gleaming office towers cling to the side of the steep hills that make up most of the city centre. Something immediately noticeable is the absence of bicycles – all those hills would make for a coronary.
2. DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Currently the fastest-growing city in the world, Dubai is a million things, depending on who you are and why you're here. For many of the more than five million visitors who fly into its sleek airport every year, it's a flashy, fun, often surreal yet uniquely Arabian city, with year-round sunshine, stunning five-star beach hotels, endless shopping, bubbling nightlife and world-class sports events. For Emiratis, it's a city that shows the rest of the world what an Arabic nation is capable of when given an opportunity to shine.
3. TALLINN, ESTONIA
The 1990s saw Tallinn transformed into a contemporary mid-sized city, with a beautifully restored Old Town and a modern business district surrounding it. Today, a look around the centre indicates that the city is booming. It boasts 14th-century dwellings that have been given new life by its imaginative populace. The flair of the streets is decidedly fashion-forward, with boutiques bearing the imprint of rising Estonian designers, in contrast with centuries-old artisan traditions. The capital also boasts the largest wine cellars in the Baltics and plenty of medieval settings in which to imbibe.
4. LUANG PRABANG, LAOS
Northern Laos' stunning city has been regulated in its development and as a result, has retained its character and sense of isolation. Its incredible French colonial architecture, delicate Buddhist wat and backdrop of emerald green mountains make it a travel photographer's dream. Placed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1995, the once sleepy riverside city has become gentrified at a manageable pace. Restoration works and a tourism boom are assuring its ability to remain a postcard-perfect illustration of historic Indochina.
5. RIGA, LATVIA
Growing up as the big boy of the Baltics, Riga has always been a major metropolis with a proper big-city atmosphere hard to find elsewhere in the region. A pulsating place, its magnetism traps travellers long after their planned departure date. Once dubbed the "Paris of the East", it's building so fast that UNESCO has warned Riga it may withdraw its special protected status, due to the number of glittering glass hotels and business centres springing up faster than you can say "bring me the tourist dollar on a platter, and make it snappy".
6. VILNIUS, LITHUANIA
An incredibly small place (can this really be a capital city?), Lithuania's hub seduces visitors with astonishing old town charm. UNESCO has declared this, Europe's largest baroque old town, a World Heritage site. It's home to an eccentric artist community: where else could there be the world's only statue of psychedelic musician and composer Frank Zappa? Change has swept through with flair and panache. Using foreign cash and local vision, this stylish little city has big plans. But new business and infrastructure – even a skyscraper skyline – won't disguise its curious charm.
7. WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND
One of the world's cold-yet-cultural cities, New Zealand's capital is gaining in reputation as a place to be in the southern hemisphere. Why does this windy city foster an artistic culture? Maybe because it's somewhat isolated, sitting at the southern end of the North Island with a contemplative view over Cook Strait. Maybe, due for NZ's next big earthquake, it's busy living for the moment. Whatever the ingredients, youthful energy abounds – hip-hop dance-offs, plenty of live music and cafés, fashionable bars and bookshops. More beautiful than Seattle or Melbourne, the starry night is clearly young here.
8. BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND
A walk through the streets of Belfast late in the day seems to confirm the image of a place battened down and beleaguered by years of religious politics and violence. Yet Belfast recently celebrated the City Hall's 100th birthday with one of its biggest carnivals. It's possible to get a decent coffee, and the central mall these days seems like a smaller version of shopping districts elsewhere. Most symbolic of change is the latest wall mural, which depicts a unifying figure, the footballer George Best, rather than images of difference.
9. BELGRADE, SERBIA
It's not just the ridiculously cheap prices; this Serbian city has an infectious energy and a populace that's unfailingly friendly, mad about music and up for a big night out. A devastating combination of Nazi bombing and postwar central planning has given once-handsome Belgrade the architectural equivalent of a cauliflower ear and a crooked nose. Look beyond the carbuncular concrete, however, and you'll discover compelling reasons to stay. The sensationally located, unspoiled Kalemegdan Citadel is one. Spend more than a day here and you'll also realise why Belgrade is a burgeoning party destination.
10. PERTH, AUSTRALIA
Step off the plane in the most remote city of its size in the world and you'll feel the freedom: it's a big possible sky out here. The capital of Western Australia has got it good and it knows it. Due to resource-rich soils and a tenacious – and controversial – mining industry, the quality of life here is as obvious as a boat parked in front of a beach mansion. Liquid amber's just another local commodity: every week, year round, people queue to get into local beer gardens for the Sunday Sesh (session). No wonder there are still motions to secede.>
Brazil's Favela Housing Program
Brazil's Lula launches favela housing program
By Raymond Colitt
BRASILIA, Brazil, March 6 (Reuters) - President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva launched a program on Monday to rebuild rickety housing in Brazil's sprawling shantytowns, but a peasants' group that has traditionally supported him said he had fallen short of his pledge to tackle social inequality.
The government earmarked 1 billion reais ($472 million) to finance housing in favelas, or shantytowns, mostly for those on stilts along rivers, mangrove swamps, or the seaside, Lula said in his fortnightly radio address "Coffee with the President."
Tax incentives, land titles for favela inhabitants, and a line of credit of 18.7 billion reais from a state bank would help kick-start the construction industry, Lula said.
"Brazilian society finally is seeing the government meet a social demand (for housing) that had dragged on for years in this country," Lula said.
Opposition politicians say Lula is boosting social spending this year to improve his chances in a presidential election scheduled for October.
The former union leader came to power in 2003 with pledges to tackle Brazil's gaping income inequality.
Polls show Lula is particularly popular among the poor. In his Monday address he recalled his impoverished background.
"The poor are generous by nature, we help each other," he said.
Lula and his family migrated on the back of a truck from northeastern Brazil to Sao Paulo, where he shined shoes and sold peanuts on the street.
Lula aides say increased publicity to showcase government action since December helped rebuild his popularity, which was dented by a corruption scandal last year in which his Workers' Party used illicit funds to finance election campaigns and allegedly bribe legislators.
He has traveled extensively to inaugurate public works projects in recent weeks.
But critics say he has fallen far short of initial promises. The Movement of the Landless Rural Workers on Monday occupied three sites in northeastern Pernambuco state in protest against the government, bringing its total land occupations there to 18.
The government resettled only 1,500 families in Pernambuco last year, short of its target of 8,000 families, the group said.
"Lula did not carry out the land reform he promised," Edilson Barbosa, a coordinator for the movement, told Reuters. ($1=2.12 reais)>
By Raymond Colitt
BRASILIA, Brazil, March 6 (Reuters) - President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva launched a program on Monday to rebuild rickety housing in Brazil's sprawling shantytowns, but a peasants' group that has traditionally supported him said he had fallen short of his pledge to tackle social inequality.
The government earmarked 1 billion reais ($472 million) to finance housing in favelas, or shantytowns, mostly for those on stilts along rivers, mangrove swamps, or the seaside, Lula said in his fortnightly radio address "Coffee with the President."
Tax incentives, land titles for favela inhabitants, and a line of credit of 18.7 billion reais from a state bank would help kick-start the construction industry, Lula said.
"Brazilian society finally is seeing the government meet a social demand (for housing) that had dragged on for years in this country," Lula said.
Opposition politicians say Lula is boosting social spending this year to improve his chances in a presidential election scheduled for October.
The former union leader came to power in 2003 with pledges to tackle Brazil's gaping income inequality.
Polls show Lula is particularly popular among the poor. In his Monday address he recalled his impoverished background.
"The poor are generous by nature, we help each other," he said.
Lula and his family migrated on the back of a truck from northeastern Brazil to Sao Paulo, where he shined shoes and sold peanuts on the street.
Lula aides say increased publicity to showcase government action since December helped rebuild his popularity, which was dented by a corruption scandal last year in which his Workers' Party used illicit funds to finance election campaigns and allegedly bribe legislators.
He has traveled extensively to inaugurate public works projects in recent weeks.
But critics say he has fallen far short of initial promises. The Movement of the Landless Rural Workers on Monday occupied three sites in northeastern Pernambuco state in protest against the government, bringing its total land occupations there to 18.
The government resettled only 1,500 families in Pernambuco last year, short of its target of 8,000 families, the group said.
"Lula did not carry out the land reform he promised," Edilson Barbosa, a coordinator for the movement, told Reuters. ($1=2.12 reais)>
Why does Germany lack a mega city?
Germany is full of old, beatiful, important and big cities but why isn´t there a major city? I mean France has got Paris and the UK has got London. Big and powerful nations tend to have one big city e.g. NYC, Tokyo, London, Paris etc...
I know that Berlin suffered a lot in WW2 and that most of its old architecture was wiped out, however, even before the war Berlin was smaller. Not that Berlin wasn´t important, it was concidered one of the greatest cities in the world, but it has always been smaller than Paris and London.
Germany did not become a nation until 1871 (if my memory serves me well) but still one would imagine that Berlin would have had the time to develop.>
I know that Berlin suffered a lot in WW2 and that most of its old architecture was wiped out, however, even before the war Berlin was smaller. Not that Berlin wasn´t important, it was concidered one of the greatest cities in the world, but it has always been smaller than Paris and London.
Germany did not become a nation until 1871 (if my memory serves me well) but still one would imagine that Berlin would have had the time to develop.>
List of U.S. cities with most the skyscrapers!
Cities with the most high rises/skyscraper
From Emporis (Emporis.Com)
New York City (5,454), Chicago, (1,042) ,Los Angeles (449) Honolulu (429)...etc..
So far from most to least, the top four are...
1. New York
2. Chicago
3. Los Angeles
4. Honolulu
5..
6...
7....
Where does your city place?
http://corporate.emporis.com/?nav=thepressin2005&lng=3>
From Emporis (Emporis.Com)
New York City (5,454), Chicago, (1,042) ,Los Angeles (449) Honolulu (429)...etc..
So far from most to least, the top four are...
1. New York
2. Chicago
3. Los Angeles
4. Honolulu
5..
6...
7....
Where does your city place?
http://corporate.emporis.com/?nav=thepressin2005&lng=3>
Interesting Cost of Living Survey
Priciest places to be upwardly mobile
Here's how much you'd need to earn to afford the same standard of living in 100 cities.
By Jeanne Sahadi, CNNMoney.com senior writer
March 15, 2006: 2:22 PM EST
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) – Say you and your spouse want to relocate to a new city.
With any luck, the income from your new jobs will allow you to enjoy at least the same standard of living to which you're accustomed now. The table below reflects what a couple without kids who hold middle-management jobs would need to earn to replicate a moderately affluent lifestyle in various cities.
We've listed the 50 most expensive metropolitan areas and the 50 least expensive from among the 364 cities and counties that participated in the latest ACCRA cost-of-living survey.
As you look the list over, keep in mind that the federal tax bite for the couple will vary considerably based on their nominal income. For instance, even though a $167,000 income in New York City will buy you a basket of goods (including housing) comparable to a $92,000 income in West Palm Beach, Fla., it will cost you almost $20,000 more in federal taxes. (Read more about why many otherwise middle-class couples find themselves classified as high-income taxpayers.)
The table below was compiled on behalf of the Tax Foundation by Scott Moody, chief economist with the Maine Heritage Policy Center. Moody used cost-of-living data from ACCRA, income data from the Census Bureau, and estimates for wage and salary growth from the Congressional Budget Office.
New York (Manhattan) New York $166,777
San Francisco California $145,350
San Jose California $136,252
Honolulu Hawaii $129,729
Los Angeles-Long Beach California $126,736
Orange County California $124,980
Oakland California $123,361
San Diego California $121,279
Stamford Connecticut $120,522
Nassau County New York $120,326
New York (Queens) New York $118,285
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria District of Columbia $115,198
Framingham-Natick Massachusetts $114,913
Bergen-Passaic New Jersey $111,855
Boston Massachusetts $111,752
Bethesda-Frederick-Gaithersburg Maryland $109,484
Juneau Alaska $109,147
Newark-Elizabeth New Jersey $108,430
Middlesex - Monmouth New Jersey $106,010
Kodiak Alaska $105,699
Fairbanks Alaska $104,325
Prince William Virginia $103,896
San Bernardino California $103,561
Chicago Illinois $103,049
Providence Rhode Island $102,548
New Haven Connecticut $100,752
Philadelphia Pennsylvania $100,456
Palm Springs California $100,200
Dutchess County New York $98,730
Hartford Connecticut $97,371
Anchorage Alaska $96,938
Fresno California $96,928
New London Connecticut $95,928
Riverside City California $95,772
Glenwood Springs Colorado $95,638
Seattle Washington $95,018
Los Alamos New Mexico $94,494
Burlington-Chittenden Co Vermont $94,493
Fort Lauderdale Florida $94,191
Baltimore Maryland $94,052
Fitchburg-Leominster Massachusetts $93,814
Miami-Dade County Florida $92,860
Ithaca New York $92,419
Dare County North Carolina $92,261
Lancaster-Palmdale California $92,196
Portland Oregon $92,140
Las Vegas Nevada $91,807
West Palm Beach Florida $91,789
Carson City Nevada $91,631
Reno-Sparks Nevada $89,937>
Here's how much you'd need to earn to afford the same standard of living in 100 cities.
By Jeanne Sahadi, CNNMoney.com senior writer
March 15, 2006: 2:22 PM EST
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) – Say you and your spouse want to relocate to a new city.
With any luck, the income from your new jobs will allow you to enjoy at least the same standard of living to which you're accustomed now. The table below reflects what a couple without kids who hold middle-management jobs would need to earn to replicate a moderately affluent lifestyle in various cities.
We've listed the 50 most expensive metropolitan areas and the 50 least expensive from among the 364 cities and counties that participated in the latest ACCRA cost-of-living survey.
As you look the list over, keep in mind that the federal tax bite for the couple will vary considerably based on their nominal income. For instance, even though a $167,000 income in New York City will buy you a basket of goods (including housing) comparable to a $92,000 income in West Palm Beach, Fla., it will cost you almost $20,000 more in federal taxes. (Read more about why many otherwise middle-class couples find themselves classified as high-income taxpayers.)
The table below was compiled on behalf of the Tax Foundation by Scott Moody, chief economist with the Maine Heritage Policy Center. Moody used cost-of-living data from ACCRA, income data from the Census Bureau, and estimates for wage and salary growth from the Congressional Budget Office.
New York (Manhattan) New York $166,777
San Francisco California $145,350
San Jose California $136,252
Honolulu Hawaii $129,729
Los Angeles-Long Beach California $126,736
Orange County California $124,980
Oakland California $123,361
San Diego California $121,279
Stamford Connecticut $120,522
Nassau County New York $120,326
New York (Queens) New York $118,285
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria District of Columbia $115,198
Framingham-Natick Massachusetts $114,913
Bergen-Passaic New Jersey $111,855
Boston Massachusetts $111,752
Bethesda-Frederick-Gaithersburg Maryland $109,484
Juneau Alaska $109,147
Newark-Elizabeth New Jersey $108,430
Middlesex - Monmouth New Jersey $106,010
Kodiak Alaska $105,699
Fairbanks Alaska $104,325
Prince William Virginia $103,896
San Bernardino California $103,561
Chicago Illinois $103,049
Providence Rhode Island $102,548
New Haven Connecticut $100,752
Philadelphia Pennsylvania $100,456
Palm Springs California $100,200
Dutchess County New York $98,730
Hartford Connecticut $97,371
Anchorage Alaska $96,938
Fresno California $96,928
New London Connecticut $95,928
Riverside City California $95,772
Glenwood Springs Colorado $95,638
Seattle Washington $95,018
Los Alamos New Mexico $94,494
Burlington-Chittenden Co Vermont $94,493
Fort Lauderdale Florida $94,191
Baltimore Maryland $94,052
Fitchburg-Leominster Massachusetts $93,814
Miami-Dade County Florida $92,860
Ithaca New York $92,419
Dare County North Carolina $92,261
Lancaster-Palmdale California $92,196
Portland Oregon $92,140
Las Vegas Nevada $91,807
West Palm Beach Florida $91,789
Carson City Nevada $91,631
Reno-Sparks Nevada $89,937>
A Tale of 3 Cities
Border rules could dim Falls' lights: Niagara's success depends on ease of U.S. crossings
Diane Francis
16 March 2006
National Post
BUFFALO - In 1900, this was America's eighth-largest city and an industrial heartland. Even as recently as the 1960s, Buffalo was where Canadians went for weekends to enjoy the benefits of big-city living.
Today, Toronto is the capital of the region and Buffalo has slumped to 48th in size in the United States.
The reason for its precipitous and ongoing decline can be blamed on an establishment of politicians, business people and union leaders who failed to realize they must change. The city was built on cheap power from the Falls, which became insufficient as a competitive advantage.
Even more of a contrast is the Niagara Falls, N.Y., versus Niagara Falls, Ont., situations. One is dying and one is prospering.
Americans realize they can learn a lot from Canadians.
"Look at the can-do attitude north of the border," said my Buffalo cab driver as we approached the Niagara Falls convention centre in New York. "The Canadians just got in there and did it."
Visible north of the border are neon lights and skyscraper hotels. South of the border is a boarded-up mall and one skyscraper casino-hotel, which was built on Seneca Indian land with Malaysian money.
Ironically, the spark that ignited Niagara Falls, Ont., was the socialist government of Bob Rae, which encouraged the building of casinos in Niagara Falls and Windsor to create jobs in these heavily unionized, declining cities.
But the main attraction is the Falls, which draw 22 million tourists a year from around the world. Jimmy Pattison's Ripley's Believe it or Not has acquired Great Wolf Lodge, a U.S. company, and is building a gigantic family resort with a large water park on the Canadian side.
Canadians have done a terrific job of adding attractions.
Wineries such as Inniskillen offer tours. Niagara-on-the-Lake is an architectural gem. Hong Kong entrepreneur Jimmy Lai owns most of the village's dining and hotel venues and recently announced he will use his Vintage Inns corporate entity there to create a chain in North America of 300 hotels.
Last week, these and other Canadian success stories were on the minds of those who attended a tourism conference sponsored by Ontario, New York State and local businesses.
I was a speaker at the event, which was convened so players could network and figure out how they could create a joint tourism destination.
They were also trying to figure out how to avert, or cope with, the Homeland Security requirement by 2008 for a passport or ID card to re-enter the United States. Only 42% of Canadians have passports and fewer than 15% of Americans do. And the concern is that day trippers or one-time visitors won't bother to get one.
Efforts to lobby will fail and even New York Senator Hillary Clinton has backed off attempts to stop the requirement.
Countless federal and state politicians have tried to pull Western New York out of the doldrums, but mediocre politicians, corruption and cronyism have prevented development.
It's significant the only development in the region of any size is the US$500-million Seneca Indian hotel-casino in Niagara Falls, N.Y., because it was able to completely bypass the impediments of government approval (it was built on Indian lands), rivalry and banking hassles.
Apart from the economic asymmetry, the other key issue in the area is the transportation delays due to booming free trade between the two countries. Nearly one-third of all trade crosses this region's bridges and train connections.
There are four bridges linking the two. Improvements in traffic flows, extra lanes and more customs officials have relieved the situation. The prime culprit is not infrastructure but governments that often inadequately staff customs booths, creating delays of hours for trucks and passenger vehicles.
One bright spot in Buffalo is the thousands of Canadians who use its airport to take advantage of discount airlines. Low-cost airlines began flying out of Buffalo in 2002 and volumes have increased fourfold.
At the same time, New York residents flock to Toronto's airport to make Caribbean and international connections, said Paul Mountain, CEO of the area's only ground link and tour service, Niagara Airbus.
While synergies here help, there is no question the passport re-entry issue will harm Canadian businesses across the country. This, plus sufficient border personnel, must be a priority for the new Conservative government.>
Diane Francis
16 March 2006
National Post
BUFFALO - In 1900, this was America's eighth-largest city and an industrial heartland. Even as recently as the 1960s, Buffalo was where Canadians went for weekends to enjoy the benefits of big-city living.
Today, Toronto is the capital of the region and Buffalo has slumped to 48th in size in the United States.
The reason for its precipitous and ongoing decline can be blamed on an establishment of politicians, business people and union leaders who failed to realize they must change. The city was built on cheap power from the Falls, which became insufficient as a competitive advantage.
Even more of a contrast is the Niagara Falls, N.Y., versus Niagara Falls, Ont., situations. One is dying and one is prospering.
Americans realize they can learn a lot from Canadians.
"Look at the can-do attitude north of the border," said my Buffalo cab driver as we approached the Niagara Falls convention centre in New York. "The Canadians just got in there and did it."
Visible north of the border are neon lights and skyscraper hotels. South of the border is a boarded-up mall and one skyscraper casino-hotel, which was built on Seneca Indian land with Malaysian money.
Ironically, the spark that ignited Niagara Falls, Ont., was the socialist government of Bob Rae, which encouraged the building of casinos in Niagara Falls and Windsor to create jobs in these heavily unionized, declining cities.
But the main attraction is the Falls, which draw 22 million tourists a year from around the world. Jimmy Pattison's Ripley's Believe it or Not has acquired Great Wolf Lodge, a U.S. company, and is building a gigantic family resort with a large water park on the Canadian side.
Canadians have done a terrific job of adding attractions.
Wineries such as Inniskillen offer tours. Niagara-on-the-Lake is an architectural gem. Hong Kong entrepreneur Jimmy Lai owns most of the village's dining and hotel venues and recently announced he will use his Vintage Inns corporate entity there to create a chain in North America of 300 hotels.
Last week, these and other Canadian success stories were on the minds of those who attended a tourism conference sponsored by Ontario, New York State and local businesses.
I was a speaker at the event, which was convened so players could network and figure out how they could create a joint tourism destination.
They were also trying to figure out how to avert, or cope with, the Homeland Security requirement by 2008 for a passport or ID card to re-enter the United States. Only 42% of Canadians have passports and fewer than 15% of Americans do. And the concern is that day trippers or one-time visitors won't bother to get one.
Efforts to lobby will fail and even New York Senator Hillary Clinton has backed off attempts to stop the requirement.
Countless federal and state politicians have tried to pull Western New York out of the doldrums, but mediocre politicians, corruption and cronyism have prevented development.
It's significant the only development in the region of any size is the US$500-million Seneca Indian hotel-casino in Niagara Falls, N.Y., because it was able to completely bypass the impediments of government approval (it was built on Indian lands), rivalry and banking hassles.
Apart from the economic asymmetry, the other key issue in the area is the transportation delays due to booming free trade between the two countries. Nearly one-third of all trade crosses this region's bridges and train connections.
There are four bridges linking the two. Improvements in traffic flows, extra lanes and more customs officials have relieved the situation. The prime culprit is not infrastructure but governments that often inadequately staff customs booths, creating delays of hours for trucks and passenger vehicles.
One bright spot in Buffalo is the thousands of Canadians who use its airport to take advantage of discount airlines. Low-cost airlines began flying out of Buffalo in 2002 and volumes have increased fourfold.
At the same time, New York residents flock to Toronto's airport to make Caribbean and international connections, said Paul Mountain, CEO of the area's only ground link and tour service, Niagara Airbus.
While synergies here help, there is no question the passport re-entry issue will harm Canadian businesses across the country. This, plus sufficient border personnel, must be a priority for the new Conservative government.>
How many millions?
New York keeps growing... Is there a limit? 30, 35, 40... How many millions will live here?>
China's Urban Income Gap Alarming
China's state planning agency says urban income gap 'alarming'
6 February 2006
BEIJING (AP) - The income gap between rich and poor in China's cities has reached "an alarming and unreasonable level," the government said Monday.
According to a report from China's Cabinet-level State Development and Reform Commission, the poorest 20 percent of urban residents earn just 2.75 percent of the total urban income, the official Xinhua News Agency report said. It did not give specific income levels or say what percentage of the total was earned by the richest 20 percent.
"China's urban income gap between rich and poor has widened to an alarming and unreasonable level," Xinhua said, paraphrasing the report.
The report released Sunday said that China's overall income gap was "continually expanding" and that its Gini coefficient, a measure of income equality, had hit 0.4. It gave no breakdown for China's different regions or cities.
The Gini coefficient, named for the early 20th century Italian statistician Corrado Gini, describes a ratio with a range from zero, for perfect equality, to one, indicating that all income is held by one person and everyone else had none.
The closer to zero a country falls, the more evenly income is distributed among residents.
The commission warned in its report that the actual figure may be even higher because people may have underestimated their incomes.
China's leaders have pledged to narrow the income gap for fear it could lead to widespread unrest.>
6 February 2006
BEIJING (AP) - The income gap between rich and poor in China's cities has reached "an alarming and unreasonable level," the government said Monday.
According to a report from China's Cabinet-level State Development and Reform Commission, the poorest 20 percent of urban residents earn just 2.75 percent of the total urban income, the official Xinhua News Agency report said. It did not give specific income levels or say what percentage of the total was earned by the richest 20 percent.
"China's urban income gap between rich and poor has widened to an alarming and unreasonable level," Xinhua said, paraphrasing the report.
The report released Sunday said that China's overall income gap was "continually expanding" and that its Gini coefficient, a measure of income equality, had hit 0.4. It gave no breakdown for China's different regions or cities.
The Gini coefficient, named for the early 20th century Italian statistician Corrado Gini, describes a ratio with a range from zero, for perfect equality, to one, indicating that all income is held by one person and everyone else had none.
The closer to zero a country falls, the more evenly income is distributed among residents.
The commission warned in its report that the actual figure may be even higher because people may have underestimated their incomes.
China's leaders have pledged to narrow the income gap for fear it could lead to widespread unrest.>
London, Paris...?
London and Paris are without doubt the two grandest capitals in Europe, in various points of view.
But which other European capital would you give the third place in this competition? Which other other capital can (or could in the future?) at least compete in some ways with Paris and London? And why...?
>
But which other European capital would you give the third place in this competition? Which other other capital can (or could in the future?) at least compete in some ways with Paris and London? And why...?
>
City Kids: Families Living Downtown
I found this article speaking of the higher number of kids living in downtown columbus and surrounding gentrified neighborhoods.
Anyone else notice more children in certain central cities, that are newer to the gentrification game in downtown.
City kids
Families living Downtown with children still rare, but building boom suggests changes coming
Wednesday, March 28, 2007 3:38 AM
By Dennis Fiely
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Meghan Gauriloff | Dispatch
Milling around the Short North, from left: resident Molly Ricksecker, 13; Bryn Webster, 13; resident Jailyn Soto, 14; and Stephan Beavers, 13
FRED SQUILLANTE | Dispatch
Alison Maniace, 5, on the balcony of her home in Waterford Tower
Meghan Gauriloff | Dispatch
Short North teenagers and their suburban friends have some fun in the Arena District.
Five-year-old Alison Maniace is growing up in Columbus with a New York lifestyle.
A sixth-floor condo in the heart of Downtown is the only home she has known.
"We love it here," said her mother, Jana -- even though the 18-story Waterford Tower has no other youngsters.
Alison spends time in the indoor pool, bounces balls on the racquetball courts and plays piano in the party room.
Her view includes sights unseen in suburbs -- such as a window washer scaling the building like Spider-Man.
Children's programs at the Main Library, COSI Columbus, BalletMet Columbus and the Columbus Museum of Art have become regular parts of her upbringing.
"I think living Downtown has really been good for Alison's development," her mom said.
Still, as their daughter prepares to enter first grade, the Maniaces, including father Jim, are contemplating a move to Bexley.
"This building is wonderful, but it's not set up for families," said Mrs. Maniace, who noted that Alison sleeps in a converted den.
The couple would like to stay Downtown, in housing better-suited to families.
"We're looking to see what is out there," she said.
With more than 4,300 Downtown-area units constructed or planned since 2002, the choices would seem to be plentiful.
Yet the lofts and multistory condos that make up many new projects cater mostly to empty nesters and childless professional couples.
"Buyers have one thing in common: no kids," said Marc Conte, director of research and information for the Downtown Development Resource Center.
Perceptions of high crime rates and substandard public schools make the Downtown market a tough sell to families, according to developers.
And unlike other cities such as Chicago, New York and San Francisco, where large numbers of families live downtown, Columbus is surrounded by attractive suburbs within easy commutes.
"Living in a Downtown condo is still a stretch for families in Columbus," said longtime Downtown booster Cleve Ricksecker, head of the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District.
Nevertheless, the gentrification of neighborhoods such as German, Italian and Victorian villages -- contiguous to the central city -- has helped introduce parents to the virtues of an urban upbringing for children.
They cite these reasons: easy access to parks, sporting events and cultural activities; less reliance on cars; and exposure to diverse populations and aesthetic, historical buildings.
"I love the hustle and the bustle," said Janet Dawson, who with husband Rich is raising three children, ages 9 to 12, in German Village.
"People who live in the suburbs pull into their two-car garages after work, go into their houses and have no contact with their neighbors. I know the names of everyone on my street, and I don't think too many people in the suburbs can say that.
"At Giant Eagle, we can be standing in line between a woman wearing a mink coat and another with food stamps. We have gay friends, and our kids just see them as regular people."
The impressions about crime and schools don't match the realities, parents and developers said.
Crime, they said, is concentrated in pockets -- and the educational options include Roman Catholic and other private schools, charter schools and Columbus alternative schools.
"I'm more nervous with my daughter in the car than walking with her Downtown," Mrs. Maniace said.
Residents learn how to compensate for a lack of amenities common in suburbs.
"We don't have a yard," Dawson said, "but we have a 17-acre park (Schiller) two blocks away."
Stacey Blasko, who lives in Victorian Village with her husband and three children younger than 7, heads Midtown Parents and Kids, a play group that provides support and companionship for more than two dozen families.
"Our kids are the only ones their ages on our block, so it's hard to find playmates for them," she said. "If we lived in Bexley, we would probably have a half-dozen families on our block.
"Our goal is to help people stay in urban neighborhoods. We would have been much less likely to stay without friends who were also parents going through our same issues."
Play-group members Antony Shuttleworth and Janet Aski live with their 4-year-old son, Julian, near a bar in Victorian Village.
"The noise sometimes wakes him up at night and exposes him to behaviors and language we'd rather not have him see or hear," Shuttleworth said.
"Otherwise, we like it here and see it as a child-friendly place."
A resident of the Short North since 1980, Ricksecker is raising three children, ages 8 to 13, with his wife, Melissa.
Their oldest, Molly, counts just one friend who lives full time in the neighborhood.
Yet the eighth-grader regularly welcomes suburban friends from her school, Ecole Kenwood, on the Northwest Side.
"A lot of them want to live here," Molly said, "and have asked their parents to move.
"We walk anywhere we want, whenever we want. We go to Phillip's Coney Island for grilled-cheese sandwiches and fries, the Arena Grand for movies, Cold Stone Creamery for ice cream and the Coffee Table for bagels."
Too many Columbus families don't consider Downtown living, said Mrs. Maniace, who spent her first eight years in a Queens high-rise in New York.
"There is really no precedent for it here," she said. "People are not familiar with it and don't know what it's like.
"But it is doable and convenient. If there were more Downtown housing options set up for families, the area might be seeing more families."
Developers hope that the day will come.
An influx of residents into the housing being built, Conte predicted, will draw families in its wake.
"As the Downtown market matures, we should start seeing more families," he said. "They are the last piece of the puzzle. But we have to focus on where we can have the greatest success now and build on that."
Mark Wagenbrenner, developer of Jeffrey Place in Italian Village, expects many of today's childless urban dwellers to become tomorrow's urban families.
"When couples who have already been urbanized start raising kids, they will not want to move away from a lifestyle they've grown accustomed to," he said.
Melissa Ricksecker in the Short North has already seen a change in attitude.
"People used to imply I was a terrible mother for raising kids in what they perceived to be a crime-ridden, morally abject neighborhood," she said, "but I am not getting as much flak about that as I used to.">
Anyone else notice more children in certain central cities, that are newer to the gentrification game in downtown.
City kids
Families living Downtown with children still rare, but building boom suggests changes coming
Wednesday, March 28, 2007 3:38 AM
By Dennis Fiely
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Meghan Gauriloff | Dispatch
Milling around the Short North, from left: resident Molly Ricksecker, 13; Bryn Webster, 13; resident Jailyn Soto, 14; and Stephan Beavers, 13
FRED SQUILLANTE | Dispatch
Alison Maniace, 5, on the balcony of her home in Waterford Tower
Meghan Gauriloff | Dispatch
Short North teenagers and their suburban friends have some fun in the Arena District.
Five-year-old Alison Maniace is growing up in Columbus with a New York lifestyle.
A sixth-floor condo in the heart of Downtown is the only home she has known.
"We love it here," said her mother, Jana -- even though the 18-story Waterford Tower has no other youngsters.
Alison spends time in the indoor pool, bounces balls on the racquetball courts and plays piano in the party room.
Her view includes sights unseen in suburbs -- such as a window washer scaling the building like Spider-Man.
Children's programs at the Main Library, COSI Columbus, BalletMet Columbus and the Columbus Museum of Art have become regular parts of her upbringing.
"I think living Downtown has really been good for Alison's development," her mom said.
Still, as their daughter prepares to enter first grade, the Maniaces, including father Jim, are contemplating a move to Bexley.
"This building is wonderful, but it's not set up for families," said Mrs. Maniace, who noted that Alison sleeps in a converted den.
The couple would like to stay Downtown, in housing better-suited to families.
"We're looking to see what is out there," she said.
With more than 4,300 Downtown-area units constructed or planned since 2002, the choices would seem to be plentiful.
Yet the lofts and multistory condos that make up many new projects cater mostly to empty nesters and childless professional couples.
"Buyers have one thing in common: no kids," said Marc Conte, director of research and information for the Downtown Development Resource Center.
Perceptions of high crime rates and substandard public schools make the Downtown market a tough sell to families, according to developers.
And unlike other cities such as Chicago, New York and San Francisco, where large numbers of families live downtown, Columbus is surrounded by attractive suburbs within easy commutes.
"Living in a Downtown condo is still a stretch for families in Columbus," said longtime Downtown booster Cleve Ricksecker, head of the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District.
Nevertheless, the gentrification of neighborhoods such as German, Italian and Victorian villages -- contiguous to the central city -- has helped introduce parents to the virtues of an urban upbringing for children.
They cite these reasons: easy access to parks, sporting events and cultural activities; less reliance on cars; and exposure to diverse populations and aesthetic, historical buildings.
"I love the hustle and the bustle," said Janet Dawson, who with husband Rich is raising three children, ages 9 to 12, in German Village.
"People who live in the suburbs pull into their two-car garages after work, go into their houses and have no contact with their neighbors. I know the names of everyone on my street, and I don't think too many people in the suburbs can say that.
"At Giant Eagle, we can be standing in line between a woman wearing a mink coat and another with food stamps. We have gay friends, and our kids just see them as regular people."
The impressions about crime and schools don't match the realities, parents and developers said.
Crime, they said, is concentrated in pockets -- and the educational options include Roman Catholic and other private schools, charter schools and Columbus alternative schools.
"I'm more nervous with my daughter in the car than walking with her Downtown," Mrs. Maniace said.
Residents learn how to compensate for a lack of amenities common in suburbs.
"We don't have a yard," Dawson said, "but we have a 17-acre park (Schiller) two blocks away."
Stacey Blasko, who lives in Victorian Village with her husband and three children younger than 7, heads Midtown Parents and Kids, a play group that provides support and companionship for more than two dozen families.
"Our kids are the only ones their ages on our block, so it's hard to find playmates for them," she said. "If we lived in Bexley, we would probably have a half-dozen families on our block.
"Our goal is to help people stay in urban neighborhoods. We would have been much less likely to stay without friends who were also parents going through our same issues."
Play-group members Antony Shuttleworth and Janet Aski live with their 4-year-old son, Julian, near a bar in Victorian Village.
"The noise sometimes wakes him up at night and exposes him to behaviors and language we'd rather not have him see or hear," Shuttleworth said.
"Otherwise, we like it here and see it as a child-friendly place."
A resident of the Short North since 1980, Ricksecker is raising three children, ages 8 to 13, with his wife, Melissa.
Their oldest, Molly, counts just one friend who lives full time in the neighborhood.
Yet the eighth-grader regularly welcomes suburban friends from her school, Ecole Kenwood, on the Northwest Side.
"A lot of them want to live here," Molly said, "and have asked their parents to move.
"We walk anywhere we want, whenever we want. We go to Phillip's Coney Island for grilled-cheese sandwiches and fries, the Arena Grand for movies, Cold Stone Creamery for ice cream and the Coffee Table for bagels."
Too many Columbus families don't consider Downtown living, said Mrs. Maniace, who spent her first eight years in a Queens high-rise in New York.
"There is really no precedent for it here," she said. "People are not familiar with it and don't know what it's like.
"But it is doable and convenient. If there were more Downtown housing options set up for families, the area might be seeing more families."
Developers hope that the day will come.
An influx of residents into the housing being built, Conte predicted, will draw families in its wake.
"As the Downtown market matures, we should start seeing more families," he said. "They are the last piece of the puzzle. But we have to focus on where we can have the greatest success now and build on that."
Mark Wagenbrenner, developer of Jeffrey Place in Italian Village, expects many of today's childless urban dwellers to become tomorrow's urban families.
"When couples who have already been urbanized start raising kids, they will not want to move away from a lifestyle they've grown accustomed to," he said.
Melissa Ricksecker in the Short North has already seen a change in attitude.
"People used to imply I was a terrible mother for raising kids in what they perceived to be a crime-ridden, morally abject neighborhood," she said, "but I am not getting as much flak about that as I used to.">
Gosford, Australia needs YOUR help!
Gosford, Australia. A regional city of 300,000 people set in between beautiful Sydney and Newcastle.
(Photo's courtesy of Culwulla)
In the course of the past few fifteen or so years, Gosford City has seen a decline in people, in architecture, and in any substantial cultural or urban development.
To combat this, the New South Wales state government and the Gosford City Council have developed a plan which will rejuvenate the city center:
(Photo's courtesy of http://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/gosford/)
This plan would allow for buildings as tall as 22 floors be built in the district of the City near the train station. Due to the sheer ignorance of some Gosford City Council members, the plan may have some stiff opposition, mainly because of its increased height limits. This would be an irrepairable setback in securing the future of the Gosford City center.
YOU CAN HELP!
The local newspaper, the Central Coast Express Advocate are running an online poll where YOU, the public can vote on whether you support the 22 floor height limit for Gosford.
YOU can help determine the future of Gosford by voting 'YES' in the online poll!
YOU can make a difference by voting 'YES' in the online poll!
WE CAN WIN THIS AT A LANDSLIDE AND SHOW COUNCIL WE WILL NOT SIT BACK AND WATCH GOSFORD DETERIORATE ANY FURTHER!
PLEASE VOTE 'YES' IN THE ONLINE POLL TO SAVE GOSFORD!
CLICK HERE AND SCROLL DOWN TO THE ONLINE POLL TO SAVE GOSFORD CITY!
You can also write to Gosford City council yourself by clicking HERE!
With your help, WE CAN ALL SAVE GOSFORD!>
(Photo's courtesy of Culwulla)
In the course of the past few fifteen or so years, Gosford City has seen a decline in people, in architecture, and in any substantial cultural or urban development.
To combat this, the New South Wales state government and the Gosford City Council have developed a plan which will rejuvenate the city center:
(Photo's courtesy of http://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/gosford/)
This plan would allow for buildings as tall as 22 floors be built in the district of the City near the train station. Due to the sheer ignorance of some Gosford City Council members, the plan may have some stiff opposition, mainly because of its increased height limits. This would be an irrepairable setback in securing the future of the Gosford City center.
YOU CAN HELP!
The local newspaper, the Central Coast Express Advocate are running an online poll where YOU, the public can vote on whether you support the 22 floor height limit for Gosford.
YOU can help determine the future of Gosford by voting 'YES' in the online poll!
YOU can make a difference by voting 'YES' in the online poll!
WE CAN WIN THIS AT A LANDSLIDE AND SHOW COUNCIL WE WILL NOT SIT BACK AND WATCH GOSFORD DETERIORATE ANY FURTHER!
PLEASE VOTE 'YES' IN THE ONLINE POLL TO SAVE GOSFORD!
CLICK HERE AND SCROLL DOWN TO THE ONLINE POLL TO SAVE GOSFORD CITY!
You can also write to Gosford City council yourself by clicking HERE!
With your help, WE CAN ALL SAVE GOSFORD!>
With the exurbs still booming, what counties will be added to current CSA's?
I can only think of a few:
New York: Northhampton county Pa
LA: None
Chicago: possibly Racine, Walworth WI and maybe La Salle
Washington/Balt.: None that I know of
San Francisco: Maybe San jouaquin
Philadelphia: Reading
Dallas: No clue
Boston: can't say unless they start using the standard county system
Detroit: None
Houston: None I think
Miami: Possibly Martin county
Atlanta: Athens is all I can think of (maybe Dahlonega)
Phoenix: None
Seattle: only one possible is Skagit county, but I don't think for a while
Any other ideas???>
New York: Northhampton county Pa
LA: None
Chicago: possibly Racine, Walworth WI and maybe La Salle
Washington/Balt.: None that I know of
San Francisco: Maybe San jouaquin
Philadelphia: Reading
Dallas: No clue
Boston: can't say unless they start using the standard county system
Detroit: None
Houston: None I think
Miami: Possibly Martin county
Atlanta: Athens is all I can think of (maybe Dahlonega)
Phoenix: None
Seattle: only one possible is Skagit county, but I don't think for a while
Any other ideas???>
what style of skyline do you like
Do you like a skyline with a bunch of averege sized buildings and 1 super tall
stand out tower eg gold coast
[IMG]
[/IMG]
or an iconic skyline with lots of landmarks eg sydney
[IMG]
[/IMG] or a water front skyline with a mix of tallies and small towers
[IMG]
[/IMG]>
stand out tower eg gold coast
[IMG]
[/IMG] or an iconic skyline with lots of landmarks eg sydney
[IMG]
[/IMG] or a water front skyline with a mix of tallies and small towers[IMG]
[/IMG]>
For London's New Super-Rich, No Whim Need Go Unfulfilled
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...030702643.html
For London's New Super-Rich, No Whim Need Go Unfulfilled
By Mary Jordan and Karla Adam
Washington Post Foreign Service
Thursday, March 8, 2007; Page A01
LONDON -- They call themselves "the haves and the have yachts": rich London bankers and traders who drop tens of thousands of dollars for an evening of cocktails and hire "personal concierges" to get their girlfriends dresses like those worn by movie stars.
Long a hub for the world's ultra-rich, London has just welcomed an unprecedented number of newcomers into those ranks. Analysts here estimate that London's financial stars were paid a total of $17 billion in annual bonuses in recent weeks -- including more than 4,200 people who received bonuses of at least $2 million each, on top of salaries already sagging under the weight of zeros.
"There is a great deal of money sloshing about," said Tony Travers of the London School of Economics, noting that 15 years of uninterrupted growth in one of the world's most open economies has set London's financial sector swaggering.
This has drawn attention from Wall Street, which regards itself as the center of the financial universe and is not unfamiliar with staggering and conspicuous wealth. A January report commissioned by New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg (R) and Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) concluded that increasingly tight regulation of U.S. financial markets, as well as strict immigration laws, were hurting New York, while rival London, closer to rising giants in Asia and Russia, was becoming more attractive to business and talent.
The swelling number of London's rich means high times for tailors, jewelers and other people whose job is to cater. Personal concierge services -- your whim is their command -- have never been busier. They jump for customers who, for instance, want one of Britain's soccer superstars to report for duty, like a pony, at Junior's birthday party.
Business is soaring at Quintessentially, which provides 24-hour assistance to customers who need to "access the inaccessible," said company co-founder Aaron Simpson. Three customers recently ordered $6,000 replicas of the Marchesa gown that actress Jennifer Lopez wore to this year's Academy Awards ceremony. The company is also trying to satisfy five women who want to buy a pair of the itty-bitty blue swim trunks that actor Daniel Craig wore in "Casino Royale," the latest James Bond film.
Quintessentially has handled requests for an elephant-shaped cake studded with rubies and emeralds, and a parachute trip over Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe-Zambia border in southern Africa. Simpson explained it this way: "The adrenaline rush you get from making a 10 million-pound bonus is the same as falling off a cliff at 3,000 feet."
Mark Alexiou, owner of Pangaea, a trendy nightclub in the Mayfair district, said one of his recent banker customers tried to pay the $36,000 check for an evening of cocktails with his credit card. When the bank authorization wouldn't come through, one of the man's buddies stepped in and put the bill on his card, as casually as he might order another dish of cashews.
"Life is pretty all right," said Tayo Awagboro, 24, a derivatives trader who dropped a relatively modest $1,400 on champagne and vodka at Pangaea one recent Saturday night. Awagboro, who recently moved to London from Nigeria, said London's financiers "work hard but play hard, too."
Rich Russians, Arab sheiks, Indian moguls and other foreigners are among those buying up mansions like cartons of milk. At One Hyde Park, a luxury apartment complex that the British media have dubbed the world's most expensive address, the cheap apartments are going for $40 million and the penthouses are expected to fetch well over $100 million each.
"It is almost like a poker game," said real estate agent Philip Eastwood. By his account, multimillionaires often sit across the table from one another, both wanting the same property, and bidding up prices.
Datamonitor, an independent analyst group, said this year it expects that there will be 1 million people in Britain with liquid assets -- this does not include property -- of $400,000 or more, up from 690,000 in 2003. The number of those with millions in cash is also growing significantly, said Kate Langdridge, a Datamonitor analyst, who noted that the mega-rich are increasingly younger. Retirees in their 40s are common.
Lawrie Inman, 25, a futures trader, said he made $1.4 million in one particularly good hour last year. "I realize how lucky I am; I can take a really nice holiday or buy a Porsche," said Inman, who does drive a Porsche 911 and wears jeans and a T-shirt to work.
Garry O'Dea, a luxury car sales executive, said that at his spacious H.R. Owen Sports Car dealership, the waiting list for a new custom-made Ferrari is three years
On a recent Saturday, one investment banker who couldn't wait that long bought a standard one from the showroom floor. "Life is beautiful," said the young man in a tweed jacket, who did not want his name used. He grinned widely as the glass windows of the store opened and he peeled out in his shiny red car onto the street.
Demand for cars costing more than $200,000 is rising, O'Dea said.
London auction houses are doing bigger business as well. Last month, Christie's broke records with $400 million in sales in a single week. The same week, Sotheby's raked in $365 million, with auctioneers noting that many items went to first-time buyers.
Not everyone here thinks the growing signs of conspicuous wealth are a positive change.
Peter Hain, an outspoken member of Prime Minister Tony Blair's cabinet, called the recent bonuses "grotesque" and said the recipients should give lumps of it to charity. A recent poll found that 73 percent of respondents agreed that bonuses were "excessive and something should be done about them," while 69 percent said the gap between the highest-paid and average earners is now too big.
"There is one extreme or another -- people buying private islands and the working class struggling with the mortgage," said Andy Holme, who works at a new service that provides chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royces and Bentleys. Cost of an airport pickup at Heathrow? As much as $1,200.>
For London's New Super-Rich, No Whim Need Go Unfulfilled
By Mary Jordan and Karla Adam
Washington Post Foreign Service
Thursday, March 8, 2007; Page A01
LONDON -- They call themselves "the haves and the have yachts": rich London bankers and traders who drop tens of thousands of dollars for an evening of cocktails and hire "personal concierges" to get their girlfriends dresses like those worn by movie stars.
Long a hub for the world's ultra-rich, London has just welcomed an unprecedented number of newcomers into those ranks. Analysts here estimate that London's financial stars were paid a total of $17 billion in annual bonuses in recent weeks -- including more than 4,200 people who received bonuses of at least $2 million each, on top of salaries already sagging under the weight of zeros.
"There is a great deal of money sloshing about," said Tony Travers of the London School of Economics, noting that 15 years of uninterrupted growth in one of the world's most open economies has set London's financial sector swaggering.
This has drawn attention from Wall Street, which regards itself as the center of the financial universe and is not unfamiliar with staggering and conspicuous wealth. A January report commissioned by New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg (R) and Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) concluded that increasingly tight regulation of U.S. financial markets, as well as strict immigration laws, were hurting New York, while rival London, closer to rising giants in Asia and Russia, was becoming more attractive to business and talent.
The swelling number of London's rich means high times for tailors, jewelers and other people whose job is to cater. Personal concierge services -- your whim is their command -- have never been busier. They jump for customers who, for instance, want one of Britain's soccer superstars to report for duty, like a pony, at Junior's birthday party.
Business is soaring at Quintessentially, which provides 24-hour assistance to customers who need to "access the inaccessible," said company co-founder Aaron Simpson. Three customers recently ordered $6,000 replicas of the Marchesa gown that actress Jennifer Lopez wore to this year's Academy Awards ceremony. The company is also trying to satisfy five women who want to buy a pair of the itty-bitty blue swim trunks that actor Daniel Craig wore in "Casino Royale," the latest James Bond film.
Quintessentially has handled requests for an elephant-shaped cake studded with rubies and emeralds, and a parachute trip over Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe-Zambia border in southern Africa. Simpson explained it this way: "The adrenaline rush you get from making a 10 million-pound bonus is the same as falling off a cliff at 3,000 feet."
Mark Alexiou, owner of Pangaea, a trendy nightclub in the Mayfair district, said one of his recent banker customers tried to pay the $36,000 check for an evening of cocktails with his credit card. When the bank authorization wouldn't come through, one of the man's buddies stepped in and put the bill on his card, as casually as he might order another dish of cashews.
"Life is pretty all right," said Tayo Awagboro, 24, a derivatives trader who dropped a relatively modest $1,400 on champagne and vodka at Pangaea one recent Saturday night. Awagboro, who recently moved to London from Nigeria, said London's financiers "work hard but play hard, too."
Rich Russians, Arab sheiks, Indian moguls and other foreigners are among those buying up mansions like cartons of milk. At One Hyde Park, a luxury apartment complex that the British media have dubbed the world's most expensive address, the cheap apartments are going for $40 million and the penthouses are expected to fetch well over $100 million each.
"It is almost like a poker game," said real estate agent Philip Eastwood. By his account, multimillionaires often sit across the table from one another, both wanting the same property, and bidding up prices.
Datamonitor, an independent analyst group, said this year it expects that there will be 1 million people in Britain with liquid assets -- this does not include property -- of $400,000 or more, up from 690,000 in 2003. The number of those with millions in cash is also growing significantly, said Kate Langdridge, a Datamonitor analyst, who noted that the mega-rich are increasingly younger. Retirees in their 40s are common.
Lawrie Inman, 25, a futures trader, said he made $1.4 million in one particularly good hour last year. "I realize how lucky I am; I can take a really nice holiday or buy a Porsche," said Inman, who does drive a Porsche 911 and wears jeans and a T-shirt to work.
Garry O'Dea, a luxury car sales executive, said that at his spacious H.R. Owen Sports Car dealership, the waiting list for a new custom-made Ferrari is three years
On a recent Saturday, one investment banker who couldn't wait that long bought a standard one from the showroom floor. "Life is beautiful," said the young man in a tweed jacket, who did not want his name used. He grinned widely as the glass windows of the store opened and he peeled out in his shiny red car onto the street.
Demand for cars costing more than $200,000 is rising, O'Dea said.
London auction houses are doing bigger business as well. Last month, Christie's broke records with $400 million in sales in a single week. The same week, Sotheby's raked in $365 million, with auctioneers noting that many items went to first-time buyers.
Not everyone here thinks the growing signs of conspicuous wealth are a positive change.
Peter Hain, an outspoken member of Prime Minister Tony Blair's cabinet, called the recent bonuses "grotesque" and said the recipients should give lumps of it to charity. A recent poll found that 73 percent of respondents agreed that bonuses were "excessive and something should be done about them," while 69 percent said the gap between the highest-paid and average earners is now too big.
"There is one extreme or another -- people buying private islands and the working class struggling with the mortgage," said Andy Holme, who works at a new service that provides chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royces and Bentleys. Cost of an airport pickup at Heathrow? As much as $1,200.>
Don't you think Shanghai is the most beautiful City in the World??
Don't you all think so? From what I've seen, Shanghai is the most beautiful city in the world, although i have not been there... It has the best human scaled city enviornment, best night neon signs, best architecture, most energy and nightlife... Its Nanjin road kills New York,London,Paris... There is nothing like the elegance of the french concession, not even london,new york can beat that.
The human scaled enviornment is amazing, better than Paris, just look at the downtown area of shanghai, how amazing it is...the architecture is much nicer than paris/london.
New York can't compete with the beauty of the Bund, and has nowhere near the energy of Nanjin road, which goes on for miles. A pedestrian street that goes on for miles, and miles...new york shopping can't compare..
We should all learn Chinese and move to Shanghai. Paris can't compare with the architecture of Shanghai, the wonderful colonial buildings, the skyscrapres... The shopping is the best in the world, NYC can't compete, it has no pedestrian streets with neon signs on it. Neither does paris,london,hongkong.>
The human scaled enviornment is amazing, better than Paris, just look at the downtown area of shanghai, how amazing it is...the architecture is much nicer than paris/london.
New York can't compete with the beauty of the Bund, and has nowhere near the energy of Nanjin road, which goes on for miles. A pedestrian street that goes on for miles, and miles...new york shopping can't compare..
We should all learn Chinese and move to Shanghai. Paris can't compare with the architecture of Shanghai, the wonderful colonial buildings, the skyscrapres... The shopping is the best in the world, NYC can't compete, it has no pedestrian streets with neon signs on it. Neither does paris,london,hongkong.>
What Makes a City World Class?
Hi,
I'm writing an essay and my topic is what makes a city World Class?
Now this is a pretty debatable topic. I need 3 points.
But what do you guys think makes a city World Class? What seperates a World Class city from others?>
I'm writing an essay and my topic is what makes a city World Class?
Now this is a pretty debatable topic. I need 3 points.
But what do you guys think makes a city World Class? What seperates a World Class city from others?>
Show your city's uptowns
Since there has probably never been a thread dedicated to showing an uptown a one's city, this is probably the best place for it. Disscusions would be appreciated on it. As for pics, don't show a lot, but try to get a skyline shot or at least on ariel. Finally, don't worry if you city's uptown is not that much, that is usually the case for most uptowns. To start off, here are some shots of upper Manhattan for NYC.
>
>
Cities without street names
What are those? And how do you find directions when there's no name for a street?>
What will we find in your city???
Whats there plenty of in your city??? When walking on a typical day, what can we find heaps of? I have always wanted to know. (besides multiculturalism)
FOR EXAMPLE:
In Sydney, you will find the city is full with backpackers from UK, Europe and Canada. Heaps of people from England on working visas in Sydney!!!
Seriously, they are EVERYWHERE! Concentrated mainly in the CBD and Bondi. For some reason they annoy me too. They seem to ALWAYS be in the way.
How about your cities?>
FOR EXAMPLE:
In Sydney, you will find the city is full with backpackers from UK, Europe and Canada. Heaps of people from England on working visas in Sydney!!!
Seriously, they are EVERYWHERE! Concentrated mainly in the CBD and Bondi. For some reason they annoy me too. They seem to ALWAYS be in the way.
How about your cities?>
Should Toronto bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics?
Toronto has had two really good bids for the olympics games but has fallen short. Should Toronto bid for the 2016 Summer games even though Vancouver already has the 2010 Winter Games. Atlanta did it in 1996 and Slat Lake did it 2002. What do you think, should Toronto try again?>
:: Bizarre News in Your City
A Murder for the Movies
Eight suspects go on trial in one of Hong Kong's most sensational killings
By AUSTIN RAMZY
It was a scene straight out of a Hong Kong gangster flick. On a November morning in 2002, local property tycoon Harry (Cigar) Lam was enjoying breakfast in his usual spot at Luk Yu Tea House, a Hong Kong institution famed for its tasty dim sum and indifferent service. At about 9 a.m., a nearby diner paid for his meal, walked up to Lam's table and killed him with a gunshot to the head.
At the murder trial of eight suspects in Shenzhen last week, details emerged that only added to the impression that real life was being scripted by an imaginative screenwriter. The alleged mastermind: Yeung Ka-on, a former TV actor turned property developer. But Yeung said he had only passed on an envelope from an organized-crime kingpin in Taiwan named Chen (Brother Abalone) Chun-chieh. Prosecutors say the envelope, which contained a photo and information about the victim, made its way to alleged mob boss Lau Yat-yin, accused of having its contentsnd $50,000elivered to two assassins from Hunan province. As the three-day trial wrapped up on Fridayhe verdict will be given at a later daten attorney for Yang Wen, the accused shooter, told reporters his client had admitted killing the tycoon and believed he should be executed for it.
Dramatic murders are a staple of Hong Kong's courts and media. Last year, the city was mesmerized by the trial of Nancy Kissel, an American expat convicted of drugging her banker husband with a poisoned milkshake and bludgeoning him to death. But despite its gangster lore and its flair for B-movie-style killings, the city of 7 million has one of the world's lowest homicide rates. Murders plummeted from 102 in 1997 to just 34 last year, in part perhaps because the city's gangs have shifted some of their focus to southern China. "Occasionally you have a case that's quite grim," says Roderic Broadhurst, a criminologist at the Queensland University of Technology in Australia, who studies Hong Kong homicides, but "the rate is still pretty low." Most of Hong Kong's murders, it seems, still only happen in the movies.>
Eight suspects go on trial in one of Hong Kong's most sensational killings
By AUSTIN RAMZY
It was a scene straight out of a Hong Kong gangster flick. On a November morning in 2002, local property tycoon Harry (Cigar) Lam was enjoying breakfast in his usual spot at Luk Yu Tea House, a Hong Kong institution famed for its tasty dim sum and indifferent service. At about 9 a.m., a nearby diner paid for his meal, walked up to Lam's table and killed him with a gunshot to the head.
At the murder trial of eight suspects in Shenzhen last week, details emerged that only added to the impression that real life was being scripted by an imaginative screenwriter. The alleged mastermind: Yeung Ka-on, a former TV actor turned property developer. But Yeung said he had only passed on an envelope from an organized-crime kingpin in Taiwan named Chen (Brother Abalone) Chun-chieh. Prosecutors say the envelope, which contained a photo and information about the victim, made its way to alleged mob boss Lau Yat-yin, accused of having its contentsnd $50,000elivered to two assassins from Hunan province. As the three-day trial wrapped up on Fridayhe verdict will be given at a later daten attorney for Yang Wen, the accused shooter, told reporters his client had admitted killing the tycoon and believed he should be executed for it.
Dramatic murders are a staple of Hong Kong's courts and media. Last year, the city was mesmerized by the trial of Nancy Kissel, an American expat convicted of drugging her banker husband with a poisoned milkshake and bludgeoning him to death. But despite its gangster lore and its flair for B-movie-style killings, the city of 7 million has one of the world's lowest homicide rates. Murders plummeted from 102 in 1997 to just 34 last year, in part perhaps because the city's gangs have shifted some of their focus to southern China. "Occasionally you have a case that's quite grim," says Roderic Broadhurst, a criminologist at the Queensland University of Technology in Australia, who studies Hong Kong homicides, but "the rate is still pretty low." Most of Hong Kong's murders, it seems, still only happen in the movies.>
Downtown Poised for Aggressive Expansion (Savannah) 6 more squares.
Downtown Savannah's economy has room for an additional 75,000 to 100,000 square feet of office space and 560,000 square feet of retail space, according to a recent market study requested by the Savannah Development & Renewal Authority. That room is economic, however - not spatial.
Savannah River Landing, a 54-acre project planned for the low-lying lands directly east of downtown and north of President Street, mirrors the traits of SavannahÂ's celebrated Historic Landmark District.
Savannah River Landing, a 54-acre continuation of the downtown, is designed to replicate and extend OglethorpeÂ's vision.
The study, done by Urban Partners of Philadelphia, revealed not only the growth potential of the downtown but also the necessity of growth. "The analysis also notes that we need to encourage the 'Class A' office-space development to retain our current 'preeminent position' in the Class A market," said Lisa Sundrla, executive director of SDRA. "You've got older buildings, and not all of them are what you would consider Class A office space."
Until now, Savannah's picturesque, ultra-valuable historic downtown has been a bounded proposition. The stately appeal of western Bay Street dissolves to the west as it slides down into industrial and shipping yards. To the east of the Marriott-Riverfront, the street rides over low, soggy land lined with facilities that lack curb appeal: a waste water treatment facility, a liquid natural gas terminal, the Georgia Pacific plant and a men's transitional center. To the south are the long-standing residential neighborhoods of the Victorian District. And, of course, to the north lies the Savannah River.
Given these limits and an intensifying need for expansion, local civic planners recently began asking a bold question: What if the historic district...kept going?
Jules Paderewski, a local dentist-turned-developer, has a bold answer. Partnering with the city and Ambling Land & Resort, a large-scale regional developer, Paderewski has spearheaded Savannah River Landing, a $700- to $900-million project contiguous to the downtown's east side along President Street and an aesthetic continuation of the Historic Landmark District.
Wes Taubel, project manager for Ambling Land & Resort, told a recent luncheon meeting of the Savannah Area Convention and Visitors Bureau that the design maintains consistency with James Oglethorpe's original concept for Savannah, including six public squares modeled after the Historic Landmark District's squares, buildings pulled up to the sidewalk and mixed-use structures.
The 54-acre project breaks ground this month. Filling in the swampy lowlands started in February, about the time the property was rezoned to a downtown expansion zone. Construction is expected to get underway during the first half of 2007, with 16 months of site development to follow.
By the time it is completed in an estimated five to 10 years, the project will include 11 mid-rise buildings. Among them will be a 200-key luxury hotel, a 150- to 180-key boutique hotel, four condominium buildings and an office building, as well as an extension of the River Walk and a series of riverfront "estate" homes complete with carriage houses.
"This development is unusual," said Sundrla. "This is probably the largest-scale development that downtown has seen, and this will show that downtown does not necessarily have a finite boundary."
"We want Savannah River Landing to be a development of which the entire community can be proud," said Elizabeth Horner, vice president of marketing/communications for Ambling. "The Savannah River Landing team looks forward to a long-term partnership that adds to the charm and character of this historic and very special city."
According to the SDRA head, this property has been "underutilized property for a hundred years." Historically, the land was used for warehouse space, wharfs and agriculture until a major fire around the turn of the century. Since then, the acres have sat undeveloped.
Christian Sottile, design principal for Sottile & Sottile, has also been a key player in creating the master plan for the development. "He helped carry the vision forward," Sundrla said.
Working on behalf of the Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC), the City of Savannah and SDRA, Sottile created a regulating framework for development. "The single most important defining element of the Civic Master Plan is the street and block plan, connecting this large open property to the historic patterns of the City of Savannah," said Sottile.
"The buildings have, in a way, already been affected" by the restrictions set, said Sottile. And the result is "a network of very small blocks."
This is good news for those traveling on foot. "Small blocks mean better pedestrian environments," said Sottile. "A pedestrian gets to make more choices at a more frequent interval."
This is in keeping with established Savannah, which has more blocks per square mile than other cities. He pointed to the work of Alan Jacobs, an urbanist, who reported Savannah has 399 blocks per square mile. Worldwide, the average city has 200, and even New York City has just 275 blocks per mile. Sottile said continuing this pattern augers a wider movement away from large, imposing blocks, often filled uniformly with a single structure, which "alienate" people.
"Building facades over 60 feet in width should be broken down vertically to reduce their mass and create a human scale," said Sottile.
"This generation of Savannahians has the opportunity to chart the future of the geography of the landmark district," said Sottile, who believes this project will ensure further development will be connected to and in sync with the downtown's core.
"I think everyone is excited about the prospect of this development," said Jim Hansen, development director of the MPC. "Certainly there are not (other) large tracts of land vacant adjacent to downtown. This is certainly something unique."
As the downtown unfolds to the east and west, there will be room for not just more buildings but taller, larger buildings. Sundrla said the lower elevation of the eastern tract makes the greater heights reasonable. Measuring the buildings from the standard elevation of the historic downtown, as required, the new buildings will be within municipal code. "Trustees Garden goes so low," said Sundrla. After building an eight-story structure, "You're still just four stories above Bay Street." The overall effect, as viewed from the Savannah River or Hutchinson Island, will be a flush skyline.
Maximum heights ranging from four to 10 stories have been established block by block throughout the Savannah River Landing project.
Ambling and any future landowners may stray from Oglethorpe's and the city's vision at their own peril. Two pervious developers "did not last" because they were not willing to abide by the civic master plan, said Sundrla. Ambling came on board in 2005 after Paderwiski interviewed several development teams and selected those with the greatest "buy-in" of the city's vision.
Nobody can deny the scope of the project is impressive, but some locals have one thing on their mind: traffic.
As a part of all this planning process, the city and the MPC have been working with a consulting team to consider concepts for improving thru-traffic on President Street, from barreling commercial vehicles to hoards of beach-goers. Officials are currently considering different traffic, calming devices to create "more of a boulevard" than "a drive-by-with-your-blinders-on" experience. Some minor traffic rerouting is already underway.
Thomas Thompson, executive director of MPC, said the panel is three weeks deep into a traffic study expected to be complete in six months.
"When they submitted their zoning, they included a traffic study which looked at all the future development in the area and made an estimate of the number of trips and developed a phasing plan of what kind of improvements were needed to accommodate (the additional flow)," said Thompson. The additional study should provide a more complete picture.
The MPC and the city had already been looking at President Street as something greater than a street or a highway, even before the development. "This is an entry way into the historic district," said Thompson. "It isn't just President Street we're looking at." The city has created a street system for this development that Ambling is following, including an extension of Broughton Street across General McIntosh, heading right into the Savannah River Landing development.
Simultaneous but unrelated to the local plans, the Georgia Department of Transportation has begun work on road improvements between East Broad Street and the Truman Parkway.
Asked if trucks from President Street industries would be redirected, Thompson was resigned. "I would say trucks are in our future for sometime to come," said the executive director.
Thompson described the relationship between municipal elements and the developer as good. And Ambling and company aims to be good neighbors.
Across President Street, North Point Real Estate is the main landholder. The city is working with them to configure an expansive master plan that brings both sides of President Street in concert with the downtown. To the east, Ambling will be installing a landscaped buffer to shield property from light industry.
Eventually, however, officials believe that development will continue eastward.>
Savannah River Landing, a 54-acre project planned for the low-lying lands directly east of downtown and north of President Street, mirrors the traits of SavannahÂ's celebrated Historic Landmark District.
Savannah River Landing, a 54-acre continuation of the downtown, is designed to replicate and extend OglethorpeÂ's vision.
The study, done by Urban Partners of Philadelphia, revealed not only the growth potential of the downtown but also the necessity of growth. "The analysis also notes that we need to encourage the 'Class A' office-space development to retain our current 'preeminent position' in the Class A market," said Lisa Sundrla, executive director of SDRA. "You've got older buildings, and not all of them are what you would consider Class A office space."
Until now, Savannah's picturesque, ultra-valuable historic downtown has been a bounded proposition. The stately appeal of western Bay Street dissolves to the west as it slides down into industrial and shipping yards. To the east of the Marriott-Riverfront, the street rides over low, soggy land lined with facilities that lack curb appeal: a waste water treatment facility, a liquid natural gas terminal, the Georgia Pacific plant and a men's transitional center. To the south are the long-standing residential neighborhoods of the Victorian District. And, of course, to the north lies the Savannah River.
Given these limits and an intensifying need for expansion, local civic planners recently began asking a bold question: What if the historic district...kept going?
Jules Paderewski, a local dentist-turned-developer, has a bold answer. Partnering with the city and Ambling Land & Resort, a large-scale regional developer, Paderewski has spearheaded Savannah River Landing, a $700- to $900-million project contiguous to the downtown's east side along President Street and an aesthetic continuation of the Historic Landmark District.
Wes Taubel, project manager for Ambling Land & Resort, told a recent luncheon meeting of the Savannah Area Convention and Visitors Bureau that the design maintains consistency with James Oglethorpe's original concept for Savannah, including six public squares modeled after the Historic Landmark District's squares, buildings pulled up to the sidewalk and mixed-use structures.
The 54-acre project breaks ground this month. Filling in the swampy lowlands started in February, about the time the property was rezoned to a downtown expansion zone. Construction is expected to get underway during the first half of 2007, with 16 months of site development to follow.
By the time it is completed in an estimated five to 10 years, the project will include 11 mid-rise buildings. Among them will be a 200-key luxury hotel, a 150- to 180-key boutique hotel, four condominium buildings and an office building, as well as an extension of the River Walk and a series of riverfront "estate" homes complete with carriage houses.
"This development is unusual," said Sundrla. "This is probably the largest-scale development that downtown has seen, and this will show that downtown does not necessarily have a finite boundary."
"We want Savannah River Landing to be a development of which the entire community can be proud," said Elizabeth Horner, vice president of marketing/communications for Ambling. "The Savannah River Landing team looks forward to a long-term partnership that adds to the charm and character of this historic and very special city."
According to the SDRA head, this property has been "underutilized property for a hundred years." Historically, the land was used for warehouse space, wharfs and agriculture until a major fire around the turn of the century. Since then, the acres have sat undeveloped.
Christian Sottile, design principal for Sottile & Sottile, has also been a key player in creating the master plan for the development. "He helped carry the vision forward," Sundrla said.
Working on behalf of the Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC), the City of Savannah and SDRA, Sottile created a regulating framework for development. "The single most important defining element of the Civic Master Plan is the street and block plan, connecting this large open property to the historic patterns of the City of Savannah," said Sottile.
"The buildings have, in a way, already been affected" by the restrictions set, said Sottile. And the result is "a network of very small blocks."
This is good news for those traveling on foot. "Small blocks mean better pedestrian environments," said Sottile. "A pedestrian gets to make more choices at a more frequent interval."
This is in keeping with established Savannah, which has more blocks per square mile than other cities. He pointed to the work of Alan Jacobs, an urbanist, who reported Savannah has 399 blocks per square mile. Worldwide, the average city has 200, and even New York City has just 275 blocks per mile. Sottile said continuing this pattern augers a wider movement away from large, imposing blocks, often filled uniformly with a single structure, which "alienate" people.
"Building facades over 60 feet in width should be broken down vertically to reduce their mass and create a human scale," said Sottile.
"This generation of Savannahians has the opportunity to chart the future of the geography of the landmark district," said Sottile, who believes this project will ensure further development will be connected to and in sync with the downtown's core.
"I think everyone is excited about the prospect of this development," said Jim Hansen, development director of the MPC. "Certainly there are not (other) large tracts of land vacant adjacent to downtown. This is certainly something unique."
As the downtown unfolds to the east and west, there will be room for not just more buildings but taller, larger buildings. Sundrla said the lower elevation of the eastern tract makes the greater heights reasonable. Measuring the buildings from the standard elevation of the historic downtown, as required, the new buildings will be within municipal code. "Trustees Garden goes so low," said Sundrla. After building an eight-story structure, "You're still just four stories above Bay Street." The overall effect, as viewed from the Savannah River or Hutchinson Island, will be a flush skyline.
Maximum heights ranging from four to 10 stories have been established block by block throughout the Savannah River Landing project.
Ambling and any future landowners may stray from Oglethorpe's and the city's vision at their own peril. Two pervious developers "did not last" because they were not willing to abide by the civic master plan, said Sundrla. Ambling came on board in 2005 after Paderwiski interviewed several development teams and selected those with the greatest "buy-in" of the city's vision.
Nobody can deny the scope of the project is impressive, but some locals have one thing on their mind: traffic.
As a part of all this planning process, the city and the MPC have been working with a consulting team to consider concepts for improving thru-traffic on President Street, from barreling commercial vehicles to hoards of beach-goers. Officials are currently considering different traffic, calming devices to create "more of a boulevard" than "a drive-by-with-your-blinders-on" experience. Some minor traffic rerouting is already underway.
Thomas Thompson, executive director of MPC, said the panel is three weeks deep into a traffic study expected to be complete in six months.
"When they submitted their zoning, they included a traffic study which looked at all the future development in the area and made an estimate of the number of trips and developed a phasing plan of what kind of improvements were needed to accommodate (the additional flow)," said Thompson. The additional study should provide a more complete picture.
The MPC and the city had already been looking at President Street as something greater than a street or a highway, even before the development. "This is an entry way into the historic district," said Thompson. "It isn't just President Street we're looking at." The city has created a street system for this development that Ambling is following, including an extension of Broughton Street across General McIntosh, heading right into the Savannah River Landing development.
Simultaneous but unrelated to the local plans, the Georgia Department of Transportation has begun work on road improvements between East Broad Street and the Truman Parkway.
Asked if trucks from President Street industries would be redirected, Thompson was resigned. "I would say trucks are in our future for sometime to come," said the executive director.
Thompson described the relationship between municipal elements and the developer as good. And Ambling and company aims to be good neighbors.
Across President Street, North Point Real Estate is the main landholder. The city is working with them to configure an expansive master plan that brings both sides of President Street in concert with the downtown. To the east, Ambling will be installing a landscaped buffer to shield property from light industry.
Eventually, however, officials believe that development will continue eastward.>
Dubai: Then and now
Dubai: Then and now
BBC
News website reader Pier Pistocchi has sent in two pictures showing the changing face of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
This picture was taken in 1991...
...and this one showing the same view in 2005.
damn that is only 14 years and this was 2005. And we know that even more is coming to juggernaut city.>
BBC
News website reader Pier Pistocchi has sent in two pictures showing the changing face of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
This picture was taken in 1991...
...and this one showing the same view in 2005.
damn that is only 14 years and this was 2005. And we know that even more is coming to juggernaut city.>
From the Major Global Cities, is Paris the Most Beautiful??
Is Paris the most beautiful major global city???
This are the major global cities.
London, New York, Paris, Tokyo. Chicago, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Milan, Singapore>
This are the major global cities.
London, New York, Paris, Tokyo. Chicago, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Milan, Singapore>
Toronto Multiculturalism
Toronto Multiculturalism is a HUGE thing, there are more that 2000 cultural festivals each year.
I can name a few:
-Taste Of The Danforth (This weekend, 800,000 people turn out)
-Jamaica Day (A Big Festival, 200,000 people turn out)
-CARIBANA (A HUGE parade/Festival, 1.4 Million turn out_
Altho being quite explicit (not really), this video shows multiculturalism in Toronto, and a few beautiful street scenes.
Here it is, Caribana 2005...
Caribana 2005 Booty Video>
I can name a few:
-Taste Of The Danforth (This weekend, 800,000 people turn out)
-Jamaica Day (A Big Festival, 200,000 people turn out)
-CARIBANA (A HUGE parade/Festival, 1.4 Million turn out_
Altho being quite explicit (not really), this video shows multiculturalism in Toronto, and a few beautiful street scenes.
Here it is, Caribana 2005...
Caribana 2005 Booty Video>
Shanghai: City develops as a global finance hub
City develops as a global finance hub
By Wang Zhenghua (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-09-02 09:01
SHANGHAI: Experts said on Friday that the city, the nation's economic powerhouse, is displaying more of the characteristics of a global financial centre as it improves its disclosure of economic information.
They said the release of a report on Shanghai's financial sector on Thursday shows that the city is adopting more of the practices of international financial centres.
The Shanghai Financial Stability Report, the first of its kind for a Chinese city, was published on Thursday by the Shanghai headquarters of the People's Bank of China.
The report will now be issued annually to enhance the stability of Shanghai's financial sector, as well as strengthen the city's ability to counter financial risks.
Experts stressed that the metropolis should strengthen the construction of a "soft environment" and build a stronger service industry as nearby cities develop their manufacturing sectors.
"The authorities released the report at this time because the financial sector will fully open at the end of this year," said Sun Lijian, an analyst at Fudan University's School of Economics.
China is taking step in order to fulfil its commitments to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
"Following the examples of other world financial hubs such as London and Tokyo, Shanghai is enhancing its information disclosure as its role escalates," he said.
"For Shanghai, which plays such an important role in attracting global funds, achieving information transparency is the basic task which can help build confidence in the emerging market."
Tan Ruyong, an analyst at the Research Centre for Modern Finance of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, said that the stability and security of financial markets are significant issues as China is due to complete its interim period as a WTO member.
Composed of six parts including an overall evaluation of the city's financial stability, upcoming challenges, and the influence of economic activity on financial stability, the report offers a comprehensive analysis of the city's micro economy and the performance of its financial sector.
According to the report, financial transactions in the city grew to 35 trillion yuan (US$4.38 trillion) by the end of last year, with the turnover of securities accounting for 5 trillion yuan (US$625 billion) 79 per cent of the national total.
The trade volume of futures accounted for almost half of the national total, which stands at 6.5 trillion yuan (US$812.5 billion). Meanwhile, trade volumes on the inter-bank, gold and foreign exchange markets also increased.>
By Wang Zhenghua (China Daily)
Updated: 2006-09-02 09:01
SHANGHAI: Experts said on Friday that the city, the nation's economic powerhouse, is displaying more of the characteristics of a global financial centre as it improves its disclosure of economic information.
They said the release of a report on Shanghai's financial sector on Thursday shows that the city is adopting more of the practices of international financial centres.
The Shanghai Financial Stability Report, the first of its kind for a Chinese city, was published on Thursday by the Shanghai headquarters of the People's Bank of China.
The report will now be issued annually to enhance the stability of Shanghai's financial sector, as well as strengthen the city's ability to counter financial risks.
Experts stressed that the metropolis should strengthen the construction of a "soft environment" and build a stronger service industry as nearby cities develop their manufacturing sectors.
"The authorities released the report at this time because the financial sector will fully open at the end of this year," said Sun Lijian, an analyst at Fudan University's School of Economics.
China is taking step in order to fulfil its commitments to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
"Following the examples of other world financial hubs such as London and Tokyo, Shanghai is enhancing its information disclosure as its role escalates," he said.
"For Shanghai, which plays such an important role in attracting global funds, achieving information transparency is the basic task which can help build confidence in the emerging market."
Tan Ruyong, an analyst at the Research Centre for Modern Finance of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, said that the stability and security of financial markets are significant issues as China is due to complete its interim period as a WTO member.
Composed of six parts including an overall evaluation of the city's financial stability, upcoming challenges, and the influence of economic activity on financial stability, the report offers a comprehensive analysis of the city's micro economy and the performance of its financial sector.
According to the report, financial transactions in the city grew to 35 trillion yuan (US$4.38 trillion) by the end of last year, with the turnover of securities accounting for 5 trillion yuan (US$625 billion) 79 per cent of the national total.
The trade volume of futures accounted for almost half of the national total, which stands at 6.5 trillion yuan (US$812.5 billion). Meanwhile, trade volumes on the inter-bank, gold and foreign exchange markets also increased.>
The World City with the best tree cover
Which is the best world city which combines the concrete jungle with a good tree cover. Rate the best.>
Korea, the most centralized country...
South Korea is probably the most centralized major country in the world (excluding city-states like Singapore).
Points of my argument:
1. Nearly Half of South Koreans live in Metro Seoul
Of the 48 million South Koreans, 22 million of them live within Seoul's urban sprawl.
2. What's in a Surname?
Forty-percent of South Koreans have either one of the three major surnames in the country (Kim, Park, and another surname...I forgot).
3. Mid-rise Housing Paradise
Most mid-rise housing (Most South Koreans live in these mid-rise commie blocks--well...for most of Seoul for that matter) is provided or operated by either one of the big South Korean Conglomerates or "Chaebols": Samsung, Hyundai, Daewoo, LG, Lotte.
*The most startling among the three points of argument is the third one. Where else can one see a sea of mid-rise commie apartment blocks with names of the big "Chaebols" like Samsung, Lotte or Hyundai stamped on their sides plus numbers like: 101, 505, 515...etc.
*This startled me in positive as well as in negative ways:
Positive
Wow! South Korea's infrastructure is extremely efficient and overwhelmingly compact over a large tract of land.
Negative
These mid-rise commie blocks not only have dehumanizing names (living in buildings with names like Lotte Castle, Lotte Galaxy, Hyundai Prime, Seonsa Hyundai with additional numbers like 505, 114, etc) but also half-hazardly designed (they look very generic and boring--living in commercially constructed commie blocks with lack in personal character by its residents).
So, what do you guys (those who are South Korean or those who have visited S.K.) think about this assessment? Feel free to give your comments and violent reactions
.>
Points of my argument:
1. Nearly Half of South Koreans live in Metro Seoul
Of the 48 million South Koreans, 22 million of them live within Seoul's urban sprawl.
2. What's in a Surname?
Forty-percent of South Koreans have either one of the three major surnames in the country (Kim, Park, and another surname...I forgot).
3. Mid-rise Housing Paradise
Most mid-rise housing (Most South Koreans live in these mid-rise commie blocks--well...for most of Seoul for that matter) is provided or operated by either one of the big South Korean Conglomerates or "Chaebols": Samsung, Hyundai, Daewoo, LG, Lotte.
*The most startling among the three points of argument is the third one. Where else can one see a sea of mid-rise commie apartment blocks with names of the big "Chaebols" like Samsung, Lotte or Hyundai stamped on their sides plus numbers like: 101, 505, 515...etc.
*This startled me in positive as well as in negative ways:
Positive
Wow! South Korea's infrastructure is extremely efficient and overwhelmingly compact over a large tract of land.
Negative
These mid-rise commie blocks not only have dehumanizing names (living in buildings with names like Lotte Castle, Lotte Galaxy, Hyundai Prime, Seonsa Hyundai with additional numbers like 505, 114, etc) but also half-hazardly designed (they look very generic and boring--living in commercially constructed commie blocks with lack in personal character by its residents).
So, what do you guys (those who are South Korean or those who have visited S.K.) think about this assessment?
Feel free to give your comments and violent reactions.>
Cities with Extreme Weather
Which are the cities worldwide with extreme weather???
Por instance:
Kuwait, (average summer temperature, 45ºC).
Yakutsk, (average winter temperatura -42ºC).>
Por instance:
Kuwait, (average summer temperature, 45ºC).
Yakutsk, (average winter temperatura -42ºC).>
Cities with Extreme Weather
Which are the cities worldwide with extreme weather???
Por instance:
Kuwait, (average summer temperature, 45ºC).
Yakutsk, (average winter temperatura -42ºC).>
Por instance:
Kuwait, (average summer temperature, 45ºC).
Yakutsk, (average winter temperatura -42ºC).>
Is traditions Chinese character is more beautiful than simplified characte?
Do u think so?
Is traditions Chinese character is more beautiful than simplified characte?
traditions Chinese character---Use in Hong Kong,Macau and Taiwan
simplified characte------------Use in Singapore,China>
Is traditions Chinese character is more beautiful than simplified characte?
traditions Chinese character---Use in Hong Kong,Macau and Taiwan
simplified characte------------Use in Singapore,China>
The most impressive waterfront skyline in the world!
The most impressive waterfront skyline in the world!
I know that it is a very tuf choice to pick da most impressive one, but your opinion counts along with your vote!
>
I know that it is a very tuf choice to pick da most impressive one, but your opinion counts along with your vote!
>
North American cities ranked by # high-rises
This has been posted in a few other forums but not in here
North American cities ranked by # high-rises
Rank. City (Country) - Population (not including metro) - # High Rises
1. New York City (U.S.A.) - 8,115,135 - 5,445
2. Toronto (Canada) - 2,481,494 - 1,614
3. Chicago (U.S.A.) - 2,869,121 - 1,043
4. Mexico City (Mexico) - 9,875,344 - 723
5. Vancouver (Canada) - 583,296 - 520
6. Los Angeles (U.S.A.) - 3,819,951 - 450
7. Honolulu (U.S.A.) - 380,149 - 424
8. Montréal (Canada) - 1,812,723 - 410
9. San Francisco (U.S.A.) - 744,230 - 353
10. Houston (U.S.A.) - 2,009,690 - 332
11. Philadelphia (U.S.A.) - 1,470,151 - 329
12. Ottawa (Canada) - 774,072 - 278
13. Washington (U.S.A.) - 553,523 - 257
14. Boston (U.S.A.) - 581,616 - 242
15. Dallas (U.S.A.) - 1,208,318 - 234
16. San Juan (Puerto Rico) - 433,412 - 230
17. Edmonton (Canada) - 686,917 - 225
18. Calgary (Canada) - 933,495 - 211
19. Mississauga (Canada) - 612,925 - 202
20. Atlanta (U.S.A.) - 423,019 - 193
21. Miami (U.S.A.) - 376,815 - 190
22. Minneapolis (U.S.A.) 373,188 - 189
23. Denver (U.S.A.) - 556,835 - 180
24. Detroit (U.S.A.) - 911,402 - 179
25. Seattle (U.S.A.) - 569,101 - 177
26. Arlington (U.S.A.) - 186,117 - 170
27. Baltimore (U.S.A.) - 636,251 - 150
28. Pittsburgh (U.S.A.) - 325,337 - 149
29. St. Louis (U.S.A.) - 343,279 - 148
30. Miami Beach (U.S.A.) - 89,312 - 131
30. Winnipeg (Canada) - 619,544 - 131
32. Cleveland (U.S.A.) - 61,324 - 120
33. Fort Lauderdale (U.S.A.) - 162,917 - 115
34. Cincinnati (U.S.A.) - 317,361 - 114
35. San Diego (U.S.A.) - 1,266,753 - 108
36. London (Canada) - 336,539 - 106
37. Hamilton (Canada) - 490,268 - 105
37. New Orleans (U.S.A) - 462,269 - 105
39. Portland (U.S.A.) - 538,544 - 100
40. Newark (U.S.A.) - 277,911- 99
41. Las Vegas (U.S.A.) - 517,017 - 98
42. Kansas City (U.S.A.) - 442,768 - 97
42. Milwaukee (U.S.A.) - 586,941 - 97
44. Burnaby (Canada) - 205,261 - 89
44. Indianapolis (U.S.A.) - 783,438 - 89
46. Panama City (Panama) - 668,927 - 81
47. Jersey City (U.S.A.) - 239,097 - 77
48. Columbus (U.S.A.) - 728,432 - 75
49. Buffalo (U.S.A.) - 285,018 - 71
50. San Antonio (U.S.A.) - 1,214,725 - 70
51. Austin (U.S.A.) - 672,011 - 67
51. St. Paul (U.S.A.) - 280,404 - 67
53. Oakland (U.S.A) - 398,844 - 66
54. Aventura (U.S.A.) - 26,882 - 64
55. Halifax (Canada) - 359,111 - 62
56. Phoenix (U.S.A.) - 1,388,416 - 60
56. Richmond (U.S.A.) - 192,494 - 60
56. Tulsa (U.S.A.) - 387,807 - 60
59. Brampton (Canada) - 325,428 - 59
60. Memphis (U.S.A.) - 645,978 - 58
60. Nashville (U.S.A.) - 544,765 - 58
62. Atlantic City (U.S.A.) - 40,385 - 56
62. Louisville (U.S.A.) - 700,030 - 56
62. Salt Lake City (U.S.A.) - 179,894 - 56
65. Tampa (U.S.A.) - 317,647 - 55
65. Québec City (Canada) - 515,245 - 55
65. Tampa (U.S.A.) - 317,647 - 55
68. Acapulco (Mexico) - 687,292 - 54
68. Charlotte (U.S.A.) - 584,658 - 54
68. Charlotte (U.S.A.) - 584,658 - 54
71. Birmingham (U.S.A.) - 236,620 - 52
71. Orlando (U.S.A.) - 199,336 - 52
73. Jacksonville (U.S.A.) - 773,781 - 51
73. Rochester (U.S.A.) - 215,093 - 51
75. Albany (U.S.A.) - 93,919 - 50
76. Omaha (U.S.A.) - 404,267 - 49
77. Fort Worth (U.S.A.) - 585,122 - 48
78. Coral Gables (U.S.A.) - 42,539 - 47
79. Richmond (Canada) - 174,201 - 43
79. West Palm Beach (U.S.A.) - 88,932 - 43
79. Windsor (Canada) - 208,402 - 43
82. Hartford (U.S.A.) - 124,558 - 42
83. Syracuse (U.S.A.) - 144,001 - 41
84. Oklahoma City (U.S.A.) - 523,303 - 40
84. Sunny Isles Beach (U.S.A.) - 15,327 - 40
86. Long Beach (U.S.A.) - 475,460 - 38
86. Sacramento (U.S.A.) - 445,335 - 38
88. Guaynabo (Puerto Rico) - 78,806 - 37
88. Wilmington (U.S.A.) - 72,051 - 37
90. Burlington (Canada) - 150,836 - 36
90. New Westminster (Canada) - 59,426 - 36
90. St. Petersburg (U.S.A.) - 247,610 - 36
93. Hollywood (U.S.A.) - 143,408 - 35
94. Norfolk (U.S.A.) - 237,835 - 34
94. Regina (Canada) - 178,225 - 34
94. Victoria (Canada) - 76,387 - 34
97. Boca Raton (U.S.A.) - 78,449 - 33
97. San Jose (U.S.A.) - 898,349 - 33
99. Dayton (U.S.A.) - 161,696 - 32
100. Albuquerque (U.S.A.) - 471,856 - 31
100. Knoxville (U.S.A.) - 177,595 - 31
102. Columbia (U.S.A.) - 117,357 - 30
102. Hallandale Beach (U.S.A.) - 35,369 - 30
104. Des Moines (U.S.A.) - 196,093 - 29
105. Providence (U.S.A.) - 176,365 - 28
106. Guatemala City (Guatamala) - 1,167,495 - 27
106. Oakville (Canada) - 144,738 - 27
108. Harrisburg (U.S.A.) - 48,322 - 26
108. Kitchener (Canada) - 190,399 - 26
108. Niagara Falls (Canada) - 78,815 - 26
108. North Vancouver (Canada) - 48,136 - 26
108. Southfield (U.S.A.) - 77,488 - 26
108. Tacoma (U.S.A.) - 196,790 - 26
(C) Emporis May 2005
remember this is not a rating of the skyline but just tall buildings. The a city toronto for instance has many large clusters of mid-highrises and 5 toronto surburbs are on the list aswell>
North American cities ranked by # high-rises
Rank. City (Country) - Population (not including metro) - # High Rises
1. New York City (U.S.A.) - 8,115,135 - 5,445
2. Toronto (Canada) - 2,481,494 - 1,614
3. Chicago (U.S.A.) - 2,869,121 - 1,043
4. Mexico City (Mexico) - 9,875,344 - 723
5. Vancouver (Canada) - 583,296 - 520
6. Los Angeles (U.S.A.) - 3,819,951 - 450
7. Honolulu (U.S.A.) - 380,149 - 424
8. Montréal (Canada) - 1,812,723 - 410
9. San Francisco (U.S.A.) - 744,230 - 353
10. Houston (U.S.A.) - 2,009,690 - 332
11. Philadelphia (U.S.A.) - 1,470,151 - 329
12. Ottawa (Canada) - 774,072 - 278
13. Washington (U.S.A.) - 553,523 - 257
14. Boston (U.S.A.) - 581,616 - 242
15. Dallas (U.S.A.) - 1,208,318 - 234
16. San Juan (Puerto Rico) - 433,412 - 230
17. Edmonton (Canada) - 686,917 - 225
18. Calgary (Canada) - 933,495 - 211
19. Mississauga (Canada) - 612,925 - 202
20. Atlanta (U.S.A.) - 423,019 - 193
21. Miami (U.S.A.) - 376,815 - 190
22. Minneapolis (U.S.A.) 373,188 - 189
23. Denver (U.S.A.) - 556,835 - 180
24. Detroit (U.S.A.) - 911,402 - 179
25. Seattle (U.S.A.) - 569,101 - 177
26. Arlington (U.S.A.) - 186,117 - 170
27. Baltimore (U.S.A.) - 636,251 - 150
28. Pittsburgh (U.S.A.) - 325,337 - 149
29. St. Louis (U.S.A.) - 343,279 - 148
30. Miami Beach (U.S.A.) - 89,312 - 131
30. Winnipeg (Canada) - 619,544 - 131
32. Cleveland (U.S.A.) - 61,324 - 120
33. Fort Lauderdale (U.S.A.) - 162,917 - 115
34. Cincinnati (U.S.A.) - 317,361 - 114
35. San Diego (U.S.A.) - 1,266,753 - 108
36. London (Canada) - 336,539 - 106
37. Hamilton (Canada) - 490,268 - 105
37. New Orleans (U.S.A) - 462,269 - 105
39. Portland (U.S.A.) - 538,544 - 100
40. Newark (U.S.A.) - 277,911- 99
41. Las Vegas (U.S.A.) - 517,017 - 98
42. Kansas City (U.S.A.) - 442,768 - 97
42. Milwaukee (U.S.A.) - 586,941 - 97
44. Burnaby (Canada) - 205,261 - 89
44. Indianapolis (U.S.A.) - 783,438 - 89
46. Panama City (Panama) - 668,927 - 81
47. Jersey City (U.S.A.) - 239,097 - 77
48. Columbus (U.S.A.) - 728,432 - 75
49. Buffalo (U.S.A.) - 285,018 - 71
50. San Antonio (U.S.A.) - 1,214,725 - 70
51. Austin (U.S.A.) - 672,011 - 67
51. St. Paul (U.S.A.) - 280,404 - 67
53. Oakland (U.S.A) - 398,844 - 66
54. Aventura (U.S.A.) - 26,882 - 64
55. Halifax (Canada) - 359,111 - 62
56. Phoenix (U.S.A.) - 1,388,416 - 60
56. Richmond (U.S.A.) - 192,494 - 60
56. Tulsa (U.S.A.) - 387,807 - 60
59. Brampton (Canada) - 325,428 - 59
60. Memphis (U.S.A.) - 645,978 - 58
60. Nashville (U.S.A.) - 544,765 - 58
62. Atlantic City (U.S.A.) - 40,385 - 56
62. Louisville (U.S.A.) - 700,030 - 56
62. Salt Lake City (U.S.A.) - 179,894 - 56
65. Tampa (U.S.A.) - 317,647 - 55
65. Québec City (Canada) - 515,245 - 55
65. Tampa (U.S.A.) - 317,647 - 55
68. Acapulco (Mexico) - 687,292 - 54
68. Charlotte (U.S.A.) - 584,658 - 54
68. Charlotte (U.S.A.) - 584,658 - 54
71. Birmingham (U.S.A.) - 236,620 - 52
71. Orlando (U.S.A.) - 199,336 - 52
73. Jacksonville (U.S.A.) - 773,781 - 51
73. Rochester (U.S.A.) - 215,093 - 51
75. Albany (U.S.A.) - 93,919 - 50
76. Omaha (U.S.A.) - 404,267 - 49
77. Fort Worth (U.S.A.) - 585,122 - 48
78. Coral Gables (U.S.A.) - 42,539 - 47
79. Richmond (Canada) - 174,201 - 43
79. West Palm Beach (U.S.A.) - 88,932 - 43
79. Windsor (Canada) - 208,402 - 43
82. Hartford (U.S.A.) - 124,558 - 42
83. Syracuse (U.S.A.) - 144,001 - 41
84. Oklahoma City (U.S.A.) - 523,303 - 40
84. Sunny Isles Beach (U.S.A.) - 15,327 - 40
86. Long Beach (U.S.A.) - 475,460 - 38
86. Sacramento (U.S.A.) - 445,335 - 38
88. Guaynabo (Puerto Rico) - 78,806 - 37
88. Wilmington (U.S.A.) - 72,051 - 37
90. Burlington (Canada) - 150,836 - 36
90. New Westminster (Canada) - 59,426 - 36
90. St. Petersburg (U.S.A.) - 247,610 - 36
93. Hollywood (U.S.A.) - 143,408 - 35
94. Norfolk (U.S.A.) - 237,835 - 34
94. Regina (Canada) - 178,225 - 34
94. Victoria (Canada) - 76,387 - 34
97. Boca Raton (U.S.A.) - 78,449 - 33
97. San Jose (U.S.A.) - 898,349 - 33
99. Dayton (U.S.A.) - 161,696 - 32
100. Albuquerque (U.S.A.) - 471,856 - 31
100. Knoxville (U.S.A.) - 177,595 - 31
102. Columbia (U.S.A.) - 117,357 - 30
102. Hallandale Beach (U.S.A.) - 35,369 - 30
104. Des Moines (U.S.A.) - 196,093 - 29
105. Providence (U.S.A.) - 176,365 - 28
106. Guatemala City (Guatamala) - 1,167,495 - 27
106. Oakville (Canada) - 144,738 - 27
108. Harrisburg (U.S.A.) - 48,322 - 26
108. Kitchener (Canada) - 190,399 - 26
108. Niagara Falls (Canada) - 78,815 - 26
108. North Vancouver (Canada) - 48,136 - 26
108. Southfield (U.S.A.) - 77,488 - 26
108. Tacoma (U.S.A.) - 196,790 - 26
(C) Emporis May 2005
remember this is not a rating of the skyline but just tall buildings. The a city toronto for instance has many large clusters of mid-highrises and 5 toronto surburbs are on the list aswell>
Housing Prices in US Cities reach for the sky
Single-family Homes
U.S. $213,000
WEST $328,500
NORTHEAST $240,300
SOUTH $185,300
MIDWEST $167,600
1. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara CA $747,000
2. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont CA $718,700
3. Orange County CA $699,800
4. Honolulu HI $620,000
5. San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos CA $607,400
6. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana CA $568,400
7. New York-Wayne-White Plains NY-NJ $537,300
8. NY: Nassau-Suffolk NY $472,400
9. Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk CT $468,500
10. New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island NY-NJ-PA $459,600
11. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV $432,900
12. NY: Newark-Union NJ-PA $427,600
13. Boston-Cambridge-Quincy MA-NH $397,500
14. Barnstable Town MA $397,300
15. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario CA $392,300
Apartment Condo-Coops
U.S. $228,200
NORTHEAST $272,300
WEST $251,200
SOUTH $201,800
MIDWEST $193,400
1. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont CA $616,800
2. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana CA $406,600
3. San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos CA $390,300
4. NY: Newark-Union NJ-PA $326,500
5. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV $303,400
6. Honolulu HI $300,000
7. Boston-Cambridge-Quincy MA-NH $291,700
8. NY: Edison NJ $290,300
9. NY: Nassau-Suffolk NY $260,600
10. Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk CT $256,000
11. Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville CA $249,600
12. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario CA $238,800
13. Trenton-Ewing NJ $237,700
14. Baltimore-Towson MD $226,600
15. Providence-New Bedford-Fall River RI-MA $226,200>
U.S. $213,000
WEST $328,500
NORTHEAST $240,300
SOUTH $185,300
MIDWEST $167,600
1. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara CA $747,000
2. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont CA $718,700
3. Orange County CA $699,800
4. Honolulu HI $620,000
5. San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos CA $607,400
6. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana CA $568,400
7. New York-Wayne-White Plains NY-NJ $537,300
8. NY: Nassau-Suffolk NY $472,400
9. Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk CT $468,500
10. New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island NY-NJ-PA $459,600
11. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV $432,900
12. NY: Newark-Union NJ-PA $427,600
13. Boston-Cambridge-Quincy MA-NH $397,500
14. Barnstable Town MA $397,300
15. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario CA $392,300
Apartment Condo-Coops
U.S. $228,200
NORTHEAST $272,300
WEST $251,200
SOUTH $201,800
MIDWEST $193,400
1. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont CA $616,800
2. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana CA $406,600
3. San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marcos CA $390,300
4. NY: Newark-Union NJ-PA $326,500
5. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria DC-VA-MD-WV $303,400
6. Honolulu HI $300,000
7. Boston-Cambridge-Quincy MA-NH $291,700
8. NY: Edison NJ $290,300
9. NY: Nassau-Suffolk NY $260,600
10. Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk CT $256,000
11. Sacramento--Arden-Arcade--Roseville CA $249,600
12. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario CA $238,800
13. Trenton-Ewing NJ $237,700
14. Baltimore-Towson MD $226,600
15. Providence-New Bedford-Fall River RI-MA $226,200>
>
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