[KCgridlock]

I need some help here.

What has happened in the past few years and what will happen in the next few years?

As many of you know, I take photos across the country and have a website of many large cities across the country.

Although I do a pretty good job of keeping up with what cities are doing, it can be difficult to keep up with every major city, especially with proposed towers that have not gone up yet.

So here is my dilemma.

In order to most efficiently schedule what cities I need to visit and when, I need to know when and if a skyline will change and how dramatic the change will be. I don’t want to go to a city that will change dramatically very soon, and I may need to go to a city that has changed recently and update my photos.

For example, Chicago's skyline will never be the same; there is now a new supertall (trump) that will forever make skyline shots of Chicago with Hancock/Sears obsolete. Then you have cities that have recently completed a new tallest that (like Philly), or cities that could have a new tallest soon (OKC).

So, please, feel free, to spill your guts on your city. I would like to know it all.

So, again, what has happened in the past few years and what will happen in the next few years? Try to keep it to dramatic changes if possible. A dramatic change is relative though. Nobody would notice in my photos if NYC gets a new 50 story building, but a 50 story building would make a massive impact on the Cincy skyline.

Thanks for your help!

[Okstate]

In the last few years for Portland:

-There's at least 4 new towers downtown,
-A few midrises in the Pearl have gone up recently (& taller than prior construction in that area)
-I don't see any of SoWa on your site. If you don't have any of that area then there is about 7(ish) hovering around the 100 meter range.

[edmontonenthusiast]

Do you mind a few outside the US?

Here are a few I know that have recently, have under construction, or will have in 5-10yrs a really different skyline:
-Portland: especially with the Pearl and SoWa
-Calgary: tremendous skyline growth - I don't think there has EVER been this much going through in terms of skyline development.
-Toronto: was the centre of a really big boom with lots under construction already and some completed from the boom
-Las Vegas: Had a lot of different developments going on before the recession, I don't know specifics but I know there was a lot going on
-Charlotte: lots of new development going on there especially in the Downtown "Uptown" and South End.
-Chicago, as you mentioned.
-Austin: it's skyline is getting a looot of tall buildings now.
-San Francisco Bay Area: there was a big tower boom going on there before the recession, again no details from moi.
-Atlanta: There was a lot of new urban stuff going in around Peachtree and the Midtown districts.
-Vancouver: just recently built it's new tallest along with a lot of other signature buildings underway or built very recently.

And one's that I'd watch for in 5-10yrs:
-Sacramento
-Edmonton
-Seattle (arguably already had a bunch of skyline growth I think)
-Boise
-Phoenix (not Tempe, etc.)
-Minneapolis and Saint Paul

[plinko]

Strangely enough, Phoenix has had 3 fairly large (relatively) towers built just in the past three years and has another 27 story office tower under construction right now (topped out yesterday). All of these are in DT Phoenix and just blocks apart from each other. I remarked in a photo thread recently that it appears that the DT Phoenix skyline has doubled just recently. That not entirely true, but it certainly has gained some bulk. This, along with a handful of new midrises associated with ASU and some housing, has certainly added to the skyline.

...just a thought...check this against your last Phoenix threads...

photo courtesy of Vicelord John
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d60/haulasshyena/4.jpg

[FSUViking9]

Uhhh...Dubai? :yes: :tup: Good call on Austin. Miami?

I've always though Phoenix has one of the most pathetic skylines in the country, for a city that big? Especially from the air.

[plinko]

Uhhh...Dubai? :yes: :tup: Good call on Austin. Miami?

I've always though Phoenix has one of the most pathetic skylines in the country, for a city that big? Especially from the air.

^That's nice, everybody on this forum is well aware of the shortness of the Phoenix skyline and why. There's no need to offer up your opinion, that wasn't what Gridlock was asking for. He has a specific purpose.

KC, Cincinnati has a new tallest under construction, but I'm not sure when it'll be done. Probably late next year?

San Francisco has One Rincon Hill and Millenium, along with a slew of new midrises in SOMA, not to mention that the new Eastbay span of the Bay Bridge is well underway.

Atlanta has the new stuff around Atlantic Station.

EdmontonEnthu already covered most of the others...Charlotte and Austin of course!!!

BTW, pretty sure the tallest building west of Chicago that's been constructed in the last 2 years resides in Los Angeles of all places, and it sits all by itself on the south end of downtown (Ritz-Carlton 663')

[KevinFromTexas]

Well, Austin is a month or so away from topping out The Austonian, which will be our new tallest. It's a 683 foot 56-story residential tower. It's now officially the tallest building in Texas outside of Houston and Dallas. It's already at the 54th floor and is easily the tallest in the city at 600 feet now. See my avatar? :D Frosty is 3rd tallest in town now.

Two new 400 footers, Ashton, and Spring, were also topped out this year, and are basically complete, minus interior work.

Four Seasons Residences, another 300 footer (394 feet) was topped out this year.

And another 200 footer was topped this year, 21Rio, which is located west of UT and north of downtown.

There's also the W Austin Hotel & Residences, which will be 476 feet tall. It's well underway, and is now on the 10th floor. It'll be our 4th tallest.

And there's plenty of other smaller projects like an 8-story apartment building and many 4 to 6 story buildings around UT.

If I were going to do an aerial photo shoot of Austin, I would plan it sometime next spring. The Austonian will be pretty much finished by then as will all the other towers I mentioned above. The only one that would still be under construction at this point, would be the 476 foot W Hotel & Residencs. I would imagine it would be topped out by then though. There's been plenty of progress since you last did an aerial photo tour of Austin.

A photo shoot this fall would still capture The Austonian topped out and complete, minus interior stuff. Ashton and Spring, the two 400 footers I mentioned, would be finished. The 300 footer, Four Seasons Residences, would be nearly complete with some minor facade detail, mostly windows. 21Rio would be complete by then.

[Buckeye Native 001]

Cincinnati was better off without QCS.

Phoenix has definitely bulked up by adding some midrises (personally, I'd rather have density than a bunch of randomly-placed towers) and whatnot over the past few years. The eastern view of the skyline isn't as sparse as it was, say, ten years ago.

As for the ones who've changed the most, at least in the U.S.? Probably Miami and San Diego. Worldwide, there's so many damn cities in China that I can't keep them all straight, and their skylines have all seemed to pop up overnight. At least they're building up instead of sprawling outward like everywhere in the U.S.

[betterthannothing]

In my opinion Miami is the one that has changed the most. Like i´ve said on my other thread i was very impressed with its skyline after decade without visiting the city.
For future.
Charlotte: Is on the rise like others said with a lot of new developments.
San Diego: I think the skyline will become much more dense in a few years
Austin, Atlanta:is already seing a lot of construction
Denver: is having some interesting projects

[atl2phx]

KC, try to fit an Atlanta update into your plans….

Although there have been maybe two or three notable buildings downtown, the real action has been in midtown and buckhead.

Here are a few comments on changes that have taken place since your last Atlanta series in 2006:

In this shot of midtown, at least four 30+ floor buildings have been completed or are just topping out.
http://photos.imageevent.com/kcphotos/atlanta/ATL_2644.jpg

in this shot of buckhead, almost the entire 3-4 blocks of low rise buildings in the lower left hand corner of the picture (east of peachtree) has been leveled and “the streets of buckhead” is slowly rising out of the ground.
http://photos.imageevent.com/kcphotos/atlanta/ATL_2631.jpg

in this shot of buckhead, there have been two 50 story buildings completed with at least three or four 20-30 story buildings completed or nearing completion now.
http://photos.imageevent.com/kcphotos/atlanta/ATL_2625.jpg

ton's of other stuff too, but these areas will have the most dramatic changes over the past three years.

[R@ptor]

Dubai, Doha, Kuwait City, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Moscow

[Fusey]

San Diego, Austin, Miami, and San Francisco have seen a lot of changes over the last few years. I don't think you'll see too many changes in San Diego and Miami over the next few years, but Austin and San Francisco seem to have a lot of demand at the moment.

[spark317]

Wait a couple more years for Norfolk and Virginia Beach - both of which will have new towers built or u/c.

[TonyAnderson]

In addition to those mentioned^

Seattle always seems to have a few buildings going up. Nearby Bellevue has built up overnight, and a picture from a couple years ago probably wouldn't be close to comparable.

Denver has a few fairly tall buildings in development.

Salt Lake City will look much different around 2010 - 2011, as the billion dollar + City Creek Center in the heart of downtown is finished.

Vegas is just finishing its massive City Center development.

[dktshb]

Denver definitely.

[The Chemist]

Shanghai - particularly the Lujiazui (Pudong) skyline. Nothing was there in 1990, just warehouses. Now there are two supertalls, Jin Mao Tower (421m, 1998) and Shanghai World Financial Centre (492m, 2008) with a third, Shanghai Centre (632m, 2014) under construction. Plus there's the Oriental Pearl TV tower (462m, 1994) and an ever increasing number of highrise buildings. Without a doubt one of the fastest growing and changing skylines in the world.

[Anxious Traveler]

well, just about all of the cities along the Persian Gulf (Doha, Kuwait City, Dubai, and even Abu Dhabi), Charlotte, Raleigh is getting more skyscrapers, Miami, and a large percentage of China's city in the eastern part of it (Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijin, Tianjin ect.)

[brickell]

I don't think you'll see too many changes in San Diego and Miami over the next few years, but Austin and San Francisco seem to have a lot of demand at the moment.


There's definitely been a lot of changes since you (KCgridlock) were here last. http://urban-photos.com/albums/89/Miami_Florida

There's still some boom construction going on, but a lot of it is finished, giving a more complete look to the skyline. 50 Biscayne in downtown really changed the feel of the skyline.

There's more coming. By 2012, the new Marlins ballpark (in little havana) and perhaps Miami's new tallest will be completed or u/c.
http://www.kafka-franz.com/one-bayfront-plaza.htm

[lfc4life]

the las vegas strip 1990, notice excalibur hotel in bottom left corner a few weeks before it opened across the road is the tropicana hotel

http://i27.tinypic.com/1zgdeh2.jpg
http://www.interjet.ch/LasVegas0401/LasVegas1990.jpg


las vegas strip from the same angle 2009, excalibur still there bottom left corner so is tropicana across the road, everything else has changed completely

http://i31.tinypic.com/35bt920.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/inadvertentgardener/3478433235/sizes/l/

[dktshb]

Too bad they got rid of those lush green golf courses. Although watering them is probably not very water efficient.

[Okayyou]

yeah Denver has seen some nice growth, maybe 5-6 buildings that impact the skyline, not all from the same angle. There have been several infill developments that are less noticeable in skyline shots.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3520/3251736675_4d9fb41899_o.gif

Here is a before and after I made from ~ 2005 to 2009. The building with the red crane will be the 4th tallest in Denver. Almost all the projects seen here are wrapping up.

Both photos from forum member rds70.

[urbanactivistTX]

KC...

First off, thanks for your amazing work, and thank you for sharing it with SSP. You seriously provide a dynamic on this forum that just can't be replaced.

As for my city of Houston, there's not much that will "redefine the skyline in terms of height, but a couple of projects will definitely have a major impact on the skyline.

One Park Place (completed 2008) is only visible from the south and east, but because the style and color of the building is so different from those around it, I think it makes a considerable impact

Main Place is currently under construction, and just crossed the 21st floor. At completion, it will be 46 stories and is currently our tallest construction project. Again, Main Place is an all-glass contemporary structure that will be surrounded by buildings from the Art Deco era, so it's poised to make a unique impact on the skyline.

Lastly, Five Allen Center is rumoured to be getting close to the start of construction. This structure is supposed to be around 50 stories, and will make a very significant impact on downtown's north and west sides.

So if you're planning to stop by Houston, I'd say wait another year or so. That way Main Place will have topped out, and Five Allen will probably be under construction.

[Metro-One]

Over the last 20 years Vancouver has had amazing growth.

Vancouver looking NorthWest 1986

http://www.globalairphotos.com/images/bc/vancouver/1986/vch1986_005.jpg

Vancouver, looking NorthWest, today

http://www.globalairphotos.com/images/bc/vancouver/2009/vch2009_681.jpg

Close up of the False Creek Area 1991

http://www.globalairphotos.com/images/bc/vancouver/1991/vch1991_062.jpg

False Creek Area 2008

http://www.globalairphotos.com/images/bc/vancouver/2008/vch2008_460.jpg

Burrard inlet 1991

http://www.globalairphotos.com/images/bc/vancouver/1991/vch1991_046.jpg

Burrard inlet waterfront today

http://www.globalairphotos.com/images/bc/vancouver/2009/vch2009_362.jpg

Photos are all from Waite Air Photos Inc.

http://www.globalairphotos.com/index.html

[JDRCRASH]

I hate to say it, but IMO, Vancouver is catching up to Toronto in terms of the vastness of the skyline.

Other than L.A. Live, most of Downtown has not changed during this boom. But during the next, expect it to blow sky-high.

[Dac150]

New York is always in the midst of a high-rise boom. Every decade there are many skyscrapers both noticeable and those that just blend in that grace the Manhattan skyline, as well in other parts of the metro area.

Just to mention a few within the last 10 years:

Bear Stearns World HQ, Trump World Tower, Goldman Sachs HQ, 1 Bryant Park, New York Times Tower, The Orion, Hearst Magazine Tower, Conde Nast Building, Time Warner Center, Bloomberg Tower, Time Square Tower, Ernst & Young Building, Reuters Building, 11 Times Square, Price WaterHouse Coopers HQ, 7 World Trade Center, CIT HQ, Trump SoHo, Sky House, One Madison Park, Random House Building, The Epic, (STB) Beekman Place, Westin Times Square, Trump Place, Lehman Brothers HQ, and many more…….

This trend continues through every decade, and within the next two will bring a transformation of the West Side into Manhattan’s third business district (which will contain many supertalls).

[J. Will]

Toronto has well over 100 highrises under construction even in the midst of this recession. Not only that, but there are 11 500+ footers under construction, compared with 18 completed, so our percentage of taller buildings is increasing at a huge rate. Once MLS, Ice, Ritz, Shangri-La, Trump, and Aura are done, it's going to looker greatly different.

[KCgridlock]

Thanks for all the replies.

Although much of it is bad news.

I was really hoping most of these cities were wrapping up tower construction and will sit tight for a while.

I'm planning on returning to Charlotte in the next week or so. I hope I am not jumping the gun on that city. Is what is UC topped out? Should I wait on Charlotte? I really need to get back there, it's changed a lot and I don't have that many photos of it.

While out that way, I was also planning on going to Norfolk and several other cities in the area, as well as any city between KC and Charlotte. I will drive to Charlotte, so we would stop in places like Nashville.

On the other side of the country, I plan to visit Sacramento, Portland and possibly LA and San Diego this year.

I'm pretty caught up (I'm happy anyway) for now with Seattle, Salt Lake City, Denver, Phoenix and most of the big cities in Texas, the Midwest and upper Midwest/rustbelt.

My focus is on the area north of Atlanta and south of Baltimore (charlotte etc). Tampa/St Pete, possibly Miami, Philly and Buffalo. Plus I will be returning to Chicago very soon.

I have my work cut out for me!

So specifics on any of those cities would be great. Such as when UC towers will be topped out and details on proposed towers that have a serious chance of going up.

Charlotte is priority. What's the status of the towers there?

I really need to return to Canada, but I will probably have to push that into next year. I need to return to Vancouver and Toronto and I have not been to Montreal yet.

It looks like Charlotte and Norfolk are on my very very short list, unless you guys can convince me to wait those out.

Portland, Chicago, Philly, Buffalo and Sacramento are next on my list.

Thanks again!

[initiald]

Charlotte's skyline has changed dramatically from the mid 1970's and early 1980's to the present day:

1975:
http://www.cmhpf.org/photoGallery/12/sky2.jpg
Source (http://www.cmhpf.org/photoGallery/12/galleryguide.html)

1983:
http://i280.photobucket.com/albums/kk174/aereunion/Charlotte1983.jpg
Source (http://media.photobucket.com/image/charlotte%20skyline%2080%252527s/aereunion/Charlotte1983.jpg)

May 2009, from almost the same angle as above:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3413/3555091101_65f391d542.jpg
Source: me

Charlotte is priority. What's the status of the towers there?

The Duke Energy Center, the new 2nd tallest, topped out in late June. Work on finishing the intricate top of the tower is slow. The 50 floor Vue only has a few more floors to go, and should top out within a month. The ~17 floor 440 South Church has topped out. The 30 floor bank of America is about half way up now, with glass up on three of its floors. Once these complete, there isn't too much new construction planned for the immediate future - a 16 floor hotel is scheduled to break ground in about a month, and the 12 floor UNC Charlotte building will start going vertical in the fall. Taken about two weeks ago:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3543/3684350469_a491bf6c6a_b.jpg

[kool maudit]

vancouver looks vast, but it isn't. that whole downtown peninsula is like the area between dundas/the/lake/bathurst/church, or atwater/the mountain/mcgill college/the river in montreal.

[futuresooner]

Surprised nobody has said Austin, TX. Not only did they get a new tallest, twice, but also the tallest residential building in TX, The Austonian.

[tdawg]

i was going to say austin, too.

[raggedy13]

vancouver looks vast, but it isn't. that whole downtown peninsula is like the area between dundas/the/lake/bathurst/church, or atwater/the mountain/mcgill college/the river in montreal.

It's not huge but it's a little bigger than your estimates:

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g296/raggedy13/Toronto-Van.jpg

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g296/raggedy13/Montreal-Van.jpg

Of course that is just the downtown peninsula cut off at Main Street. There are many urban areas beyond not included.

[lawfin]

I think in the US it is clearly NYC and CHicago

Chicago since 1999 has added approximately 210-215 highrises. I do not have NYC numbers but they probably added at least twice this; maybe more.

To put that in perspective Seattle's total highrise number is approx 220. (not picking on Seattle just that it was close to Chicago's total).

So Chicago added Seattle in the last decade. NYC at least twice that.....now that is change....building an entire mid-sized city.

[SLO]

Miami has the most change visually, but it depends on when you were there last. My last trip to Austin was startling with the addition of a few tall towers & the Austonian uc, its transformed from a mid size skyline to a tall one.

Cant wait to see your new threads.

[mhays]

I think in the US it is clearly NYC and CHicago

Chicago since 1999 has added approximately 210-215 highrises. I do not have NYC numbers but they probably added at least twice this; maybe more.

To put that in perspective Seattle's total highrise number is approx 220. (not picking on Seattle just that it was close to Chicago's total).

So Chicago added Seattle in the last decade. NYC at least twice that.....now that is change....building an entire mid-sized city.

Seattle has almost no highrises outside a limited downtown area. Even where we build "density" it's usually of the 65' variety.

[dave8721]

I think in the US it is clearly NYC and CHicago

Chicago since 1999 has added approximately 210-215 highrises. I do not have NYC numbers but they probably added at least twice this; maybe more.

To put that in perspective Seattle's total highrise number is approx 220. (not picking on Seattle just that it was close to Chicago's total).

So Chicago added Seattle in the last decade. NYC at least twice that.....now that is change....building an entire mid-sized city.

Definitely not. Obvioulsy they added scores of new buildings but since they have always had massive skylines the change is no where near as evident as places like Miami, Las Vegas, Charlotte...etc. Chicago has changed more visibly than New York (though losing the WTC was a huge change in New Yorks skyine).

For example the Miami area went from having just 4 500+ foot tall bulidings to 32 since 2000. There are 905 buildings over 10 stories in Miami-Dade County and an astounding 324 of those were built after the year 2000. An increase of 56% in less than a decade. That is a CHANGE.

[Scottolini]

It's like the difference between an 800lb. man gaining 200 more pounds, or 50lb. kid gaining 25 pounds. It's going to be much more dramatic, and noticeable on the kid, even though he didn't add near as much weight.

[Nite]

Toronto has well over 100 highrises under construction even in the midst of this recession. Not only that, but there are 11 500+ footers under construction, compared with 18 completed, so our percentage of taller buildings is increasing at a huge rate. Once MLS, Ice, Ritz, Shangri-La, Trump, and Aura are done, it's going to looker greatly different.

Toronto doesn't have to worry about Vancouver catching us anytime soon.

Toronto - June 2009 (~ 100 highrises currently under construction)

http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/1091/dsc07261z.jpg
http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/1673/dsc07256q.jpg
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/6189/dsc07257p.jpg
http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/2881/dsc07259.jpg

by ganjavih @ urbantoronto
http://www.urbantoronto.ca/showthread.php?t=9467

[Alice93]

It's like the difference between an 800lb. man gaining 200 more pounds, or 50lb. kid gaining 25 pounds. It's going to be much more dramatic, and noticeable on the kid, even though he didn't add near as much weight.

Exactly.:yes:

[JDRCRASH]

So Chicago added Seattle in the last decade. NYC at least twice that.....now that is change....building an entire mid-sized city.

Some of that is because of the demolition of lots of older buildings, so the actual growth in the skylines is probably smaller than that.

And as Dave said, only Las Vegas and Miami have truly changed after this boom.

[tdawg]

Vancouver's density seems to be more expansive. Toronto appears to stretch along a narrow spine, which I'm guessing is Yonge Street and the subway?

[initiald]

Miami has the most change visually, but it depends on when you were there last.

Quite a few skyscrapers have been added in the past few years:

June 2005:
http://www.pbase.com/bz3rk/image/49181925.jpg

May 2009:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3369/3524603348_259b91a3e5_o.jpg

[Juelz]

Just look at the difference in less than a decade in Miami

Right before the boom (late 90's early 00's)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3402/3655212404_9508f3e7fd.jpg
SOURCE (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3402/3655212404_9508f3e7fd.jpg)


Today
http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/1130/dsc1427s.jpg
SOURCE (http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/1130/dsc1427s.jpg)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3342/3449299726_2a7ece0424_o.jpg
SOURCE (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3342/3449299726_2a7ece0424_o.jpg)

[aljuarez]

North American cities are always adding buildings, but the radical transformation of the modern Middle Eastern cities (Dubai, Doha, etc) and the East Asian cities (especially in China) is something the world hadn't seen in a while and no place in the West has gone through anything like this recently. It goes well beyond just new towers... it includes new infrastructure projects (vast new airports, brand-new highway and subway systems and whole new cities within the cities) and the dramatic transformation of whole communities almost overnight. Even the landscape is transformed with new islands and canals. Lakes and hills are created or disappear... it's mind-boggling. Change like this has not always a been good thing, though...:yes:

[Alice93]

^Yes, good point.:tup:

[edmontonenthusiast]

Vancouver's density seems to be more expansive. Toronto appears to stretch along a narrow spine, which I'm guessing is Yonge Street and the subway?

yup. although they are doing a lot in the waterfront (toronto). but the changes in vancouver since it held expo 86 have been astronomical. much of vancouvers skyscrapers are 1990+. montréal isn't known for an amazing skyline, but for great looks from the street.

[softee]

Vancouver's highrises might appear more expansive than Toronto when you're looking at photos, but it isn't. The two cities are on totally different scales.

[pj3000]

Miami's skyline has without question changed the most dramatically in the shortest amount of time. What has happened there in only the past five years is unrivaled in the US.

[lawfin]

Definitely not. Obvioulsy they added scores of new buildings but since they have always had massive skylines the change is no where near as evident as places like Miami, Las Vegas, Charlotte...etc. Chicago has changed more visibly than New York (though losing the WTC was a huge change in New Yorks skyine).

For example the Miami area went from having just 4 500+ foot tall bulidings to 32 since 2000. There are 905 buildings over 10 stories in Miami-Dade County and an astounding 324 of those were built after the year 2000. An increase of 56% in less than a decade. That is a CHANGE.

Look I am not trying to piss on your parade. You are aware of absolute change versus relative change?

ANyhow according to Emporis Miami has something like 275 highrise give or take ,total. Chicago in the past less than 10 years has built on the order of 210 maybe 215 or so. As I said I do not know the numbers for NYC but I am sure they are at least double Chicago's numbers. Within those 200+ highrises built in CHicago in less than a decade there have been ~35 over 500 feet and 20 over 600 feet and 7 over 700 feet. Unfortunately this damn economy has played havoc with Waterview (~1,050 feet) and the Spire (~2,000 feet); nonetheless given those two losses Chicago has managed to add more 500 foot tall buildings to itself than any other city in the US currently has built, save NYC.

Perhaps relativistically this does not signal change.....I think the fact that it does not suggest so beseaks the awesomeness of the CHicago and NYC skylines....however it most emphatically is absolute change to a greater degree than any other cities in the US bar none.

[J. Will]

Vancouver's highrises might appear more expansive than Toronto when you're looking at photos, but it isn't. The two cities are on totally different scales.

Vancouver's skyline appears wider than it is because until pretty recently there was nothing over 500 feet. Yet many of the building appear tall because they're so skinny. It's still impressive for it's population, but even just the old city of Toronto (population 700,000) has over 800 high rises in 37 square miles - about as many as all of Greater Vancouver.

[tdawg]

Miami's skyline growth is amazing and that last picture is spectacular!

[JDRCRASH]

Change like this has not always a been good thing, though...:yes:

I hope most of Dubai avoids high vacancy rates. I would hate to see all the materials used during it's projects wasted, especially when other places really need it, possibly more.

[lawfin]

I hope most of Dubai avoids high vacancy rates. I would hate to see all the materials used during it's projects wasted, especially when other places really need it, possibly more.

^^^As to Dubai: http://raisingtheroof.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/26/report-dubai-leads-world-in-price-declines/?pagemode=print

May 26, 2009, 1:40 pm
Report: Dubai Leads World in Price Declines
By Kevin Brass
Kamran Jebreili/Associated Press The Dubai skyline.

Dubai prices have dropped 32 percent in the last year and 40 percent in the last quarter, according to the latest edition of the Knight Frank Global House Price Index, released today.

Along with Dubai, Latvia (36 percent) and Singapore (23.8 percent) saw the largest declines since the first quarter of 2008, the property firm reports.

Israel posted the largest gain in the last year, a 10.9 increase from the first quarter of 2008, followed by the Czech Republic with a 9.9 percent increase, Jersey (an island off the coast of Normandy that is part of the British commonwealth) with a 6.9 percent jump and Switzerland, which recorded a 5.6 percent increase.

But Knight Frank saw little good news in the numbers, predicting the slump in property prices is likely to continue through the remainder of 2009.

“The world’s housing markets remain under intense pressure with little real evidence of any of the hoped for ‘green shoots,’” head of international research Nick Barnes said in a press release. “The inescapable trend is that the worst and most widespread economic recession since the 1930s continues to batter housing markets across the globe.”

[lawfin]

I hope most of Dubai avoids high vacancy rates. I would hate to see all the materials used during it's projects wasted, especially when other places really need it, possibly more.

^^^More on Dubai; looks like your hopes will not come true:
http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/articles/dubai-property-prices-could-plunge-70-percent-from-their-2008-peak-52894.aspx

Dubai Property Prices Could Plunge 70 Percent From Their 2008 Peak
Published on:
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Written by:
Property Wire


The once white hot property market in Dubai has fallen on hard times. A new report is now predicting that Dubai property prices will fall 70% from their 2008 peak levels, and residential vacancy rates will reach 30%. For more on this, read the following article from Property Wire.

A recovery in the property market in Dubai is unlikely this year with some analysts predicting further steep falls in real estate prices.

The latest analysis from UBS Bank predicts that house prices in Dubai could plunge by up to 70% from their peak levels in 2008.

Analysts said that the real estate sector in Dubai will face a substantial glut next year while demand will continue to be weak as many of the expatriates who drove the property boom in recent years are losing their jobs and are returning home.

"In our view, we are still in relatively early stages of the property downcycle in UAE, and we believe risk-reward profits are not yet compelling for investors to consider market re-entry, hence, continued price declines are expected," said UBS.

UBS expects the average house price in Dubai drop to about Dh500 per square foot this year, compared to its peak of Dh1,850 in the fourth quarter of 2008. Prices have already fallen by 25% cent to about Dh1,400 per square foot.

It also predicts a further decline in Dubai's expatriate population which will fall by 8% this year and 2% in 2010. "We would not be surprised to find Dubai residential vacancy rates reach between 25% and 30% by the end of 2010," it said in its report.

UBS has also downgraded Emaar Properties, Union Properties and Aldar Properties, saying the UAE's property market fundamentals have weakened in the first quarter of 2009.

It cited existing investors defaulting on payments, insignificant incremental financing for both infrastructure projects and mortgage issuance and an increase in project cancellations

Dubai residential property prices have fallen by up to 42% over the last six months and have further to fall further to fall, according to the latest report Colliers International.

Ian Albert, Colliers' regional director said that speculators had largely quit the Gulf market and debt financing was unavailable, leaving only professional investors who only want nearly complete or income generating property investments.

[JDRCRASH]

I wonder if your able to recycle skyscrapers?:hmmm:

[betterthannothing]

Quite a few skyscrapers have been added in the past few years:

June 2005:
http://www.pbase.com/bz3rk/image/49181925.jpg

May 2009:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3369/3524603348_259b91a3e5_o.jpg

UAUU...talking about radical change...IMO Miami takes the cake no doubt..

[emathias]

UAUU...talking about radical change...IMO Miami takes the cake no doubt..

I agree. I live in Chicago, and from the street perspective the 200+ added skyscrapers have really altered life downtown, and from "internal skyline" shots, but from a lakefront view, which is our most famous skyline, things have only changed incrementally. The south lakefront now actually has a skyline, which it didn't before, and the area between AON and the Lake has noticably filled out, but the visual change is otherwise not nearly as visually dramatic as Miami's. Certainly things have changed to people who are looking to see the changes (for example, I watched "Primal Fear" last night, and the office for Richard Gere's character is on Dearborn just south of Chicago Ave. In one shot you can see down Dearborn and that particular view is DRAMATICALLY different today). But to most outside observers, looking at "skyline shots", Chicago doesn't seem to have changed more than incrementally.

I love watching "Burn Notice," set in Miami, with all it's dramatic skyscraper shots in the opening and post-commercial scenes.

[landoc]

yes, of course Dubai property market has declined but if you compare Dubai to other major cities around the world, it is not so bad. In fact, Dubai is simply quietly growing amidst the economic crisis. I just read in this properties in Dubai news website (http://www.thefirstgroup.com/dubai/index.php) (please go to NEWS) that in a day (specifically the 20th July this year) there only occurred a handful of sales of land in Dubai but those sales totaled AED5.64 billion! So I think it's a gray area here... ok, sales may be going down due to the current economic downturn, but I think Dubai property market is just cooling down for a bigger comeback once all this doom and gloom ceases. not sure what everyone else think?

[themaguffin]

KC, before you revisit any of the cities that you have done such wonderful work with, can I suggest using your talents
for a long awaited (by a few of us here I think) thread:

"Above Pittsburgh"

;)

[Evergrey]

I'd like to see a return engagement above Wichita.

[bobdreamz]

lawfin no offense taken since I would expect NYC & Chicago to always be adding highriese since they are top premier cities in the country for business.
Miami had certain aspects going for it at the end of the 90s that don't apply to many other cities or metros. Lack of land (downtown Miami to the beginning of the Everglades is around 14 miles east to west) and the shortage of single family homes. In addition many South American investors are used to living in highrises ( think Sau Paulo or Rio or Buenos Aries, etc.).

I do think miami had one of the largest transformational skyline changes in the US over the past decade as evidenced by the pics posted above but alas the economy pulled the plug. We still have 3 office towers going up over 500+ feet as we speak but I don't think I will see the explosion of construction I witnessed this past decade.

[ltsmotorsport]

KCG:

I do know for a fact that Sacramento has added two substantial towers to its skyline since you were there last. So you can definitely update your pics from sactown. ;)

There are also a few proposals for others two, but they might be a ways down the road.

The Railyards infill project will also be a big one to watch over the next 15 to 20 years. 240 acres of nothing but medium and high density development.

[photolitherland]

Can someone post a photo of Chicago from about 10 years ago from the same angle as one taken now. That would be very cool to see and maybe a few for NYC too.