7 Reasons Why High-Rises Kill Livability

[thelakelander]

Taz Loomans of the Blooming Rock blog believes high-rises kill livability.

What do you do when you're the city of Portland and millions of people are supposed to move into your city in the coming decades and you have an urban growth boundary? Build up, right? To a certain extent yes, but not above the fifth floor, says world-renown architect Jan Gehl. "I would say that anybody living over the fifth floor ought generally to be referring to the airspace authorities. You're not part of the earth anymore, because you can't see what's going on on the ground and the people on the ground can't see where you are," he warns. As the Portland Comprehensive Plan update is underway, residents are looking on with alarm as the city is proposing to allow building heights up to 40 stories in such questionable places like historic neighborhoods and bridgeheads all in the name of density.

The high-rise is not the only answer to density. In fact, it may be a very unsuitable solution that undermines the character, livability, social fabric and even the public health of a city.

Below are 7 reasons why high-rises kill livability:

1. High-rises separate people from the street

2. High-rise scale is not the human scale

3. High-rises radically reduce chance encounters and propinquity

4. High-rises are vertical sprawl

5. High-rises=gentrification and inequality; Low/Mid-rises=resiliency and affordability

6. Are High Rises Even Green?

7. High Rises are not good for your health

Full article: http://bloomingrock.com/2014/09/25/7-reasons-why-high-rises-kill-livability/

[JeffreyS]

Number 5 seems like the only point with any reasonable argument to be made as a negative to livability.

[JeffreyS]

If the first couple of floors engage the street then the people living in those buildings will engage the street.

[ChriswUfGator]

High rises are not good for your health? That's an interesting claim seemingly out of nowhere.