Tall buildings and city life

The practical reason is land. In a city centre a plot costs so much that the only way to make the numbers work is to stack floors on top of each other. But I don't think economics explains the very tallest towers; those are about prestige. A city that builds a record-breaking skyscraper is announcing that it has arrived, and developers know a famous silhouette lets them charge a premium for every square metre inside. As for living in one, the view is wonderful for about a month, and then the drawbacks show. You depend entirely on lifts, so a power cut on the thirtieth floor is a real ordeal for an elderly resident. Neighbours rarely know each other, because nobody lingers in a corridor the way they would in a lane or a courtyard. And after several serious apartment fires, many people feel uneasy about how quickly they could actually get out. That said, a well-run tower with a playground and shops at its base can be more convenient than a cramped house down an alley. Looking ahead, I'm sure cities will keep growing upwards, simply because populations are rising and spreading outwards swallows farmland and lengthens commutes. What I hope changes is the design: more shared gardens halfway up, better natural ventilation, and fewer glass boxes that need air conditioning all day.