Skylines and Developments of the US/World

[stick n move]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2024403839252623386

 

[stick n move]

First tower at the former chicago spire site coming along

Images show construction of SOM skyscraper in Chicago

SOM has revealed construction images of a skyscraper at 400 Lake Shore, the site of the cancelled Chicago Spire skyscraper.

www.dezeen.com

400 Lake Shore, Chicago

400 Lake Shore, designed by SOM, will reshape the Chicago skyline with two towers reaching nearly 900 feet

www.som.com

 

[stick n move]

Xiongan is a new city in china being built to move the administrative functions out of beijing to relieve pressure in the city. They started construction in 2017. 8 years to build this so far going into the 9th. Its jaw dropping and completely disheartening the difference in speed. We have single buildings that take this long from proposal to completion. We dont need to try to become china, but examples like this show what is possible. Theres a spectrum and theyre at the very fastest end while were at the slowest end. We definitely need to start closing the gap.

We dont need to build an entire city in 8 years, but what if we could have built something like that california forever sized project by now? San francisco has multiple different neighborhood redevelopments that are 8 years old and havent even started construction or have only built a building or two… candlestick point, india basin, hunters point, potrero hill, stonestown, baylands, pier 70…etc. We can and should be faster. We should have at least 1 of those completed by now.

 

[MrDee12345]

I was recently in Sri Lanka and I got a couple of shots from Colombo.

Unfortunately, we spent little time in the city, so I only got shots of the Lotus Tower and some city shots.

 

[MrDee12345]

We also got down to Galle Fort in the southern part of the country. Not much of a skyline, but it's a very cool, walkable area surrounded by an old Portuguese and Dutch built fort.

I also added some photos of the train tracks located a little bit outside of the city.

I wanted to post the video I took of the train passing by in another forum, but apparently the file was too big.

 

[stick n move]

I was recently in Sri Lanka and I got a couple of shots from Colombo.

Unfortunately, we spent little time in the city, so I only got shots of the Lotus Tower and some city shots.

Its crazy how they spent all that money on the huge port city reclamation project and none of the development has happened and instead port infrastructure and industrial has crept in and taken over. The expanded port itself was hugely important but all of the rest of that reclamation wasnt needed to do it. Ive been hoping to see some projects slowly start building out over time but it just hasnt happened yet.

This was the plan

This is it today

$15 billion is a lot of money for sri lanka, I’m still hopeful itll work out over time, but seeing all of the port/industrial moving in to areas it wasnt supposed to be makes me think its going to be a while.

 

[MrDee12345]

Its crazy how they spent all that money on the huge port city reclamation project and none of the development has happened and instead port infrastructure and industrial has crept in and taken over. The expanded port itself was hugely important but all of the rest of that reclamation wasnt needed to do it. Ive been hoping to see some projects slowly start building out over time but it just hasnt happened yet.

This was the plan
View attachment 71708

This is it today
View attachment 71709

$15 billion is a lot of money for sri lanka, I’m still hopeful itll work out over time, but seeing all of the port/industrial moving in to areas it wasnt supposed to be makes me think its going to be a while.

I wasn't even aware of this. Thanks for posting.

Maybe next time we go, we'll spend more time in the city. I did see a few nicer, more upscale areas - I had to run to a mall to get something and everyone had to go through a metal detectors just to get in.

 

[stick n move]

I wasn't even aware of this. Thanks for posting.

Maybe next time we go, we'll spend more time in the city. I did see a few nicer, more upscale areas - I had to run to a mall to get something and everyone had to go through a metal detectors just to get in.

Theres even more reclamation going on right now theyre adding 2 more massive container terminals where 2 of the breakwaters were first built on the left and right here. That rendering above shows what it looked like originally after the first project. They were built with expansion in mind and are now being completed. Pretty cool stuff imo. At least part of the project has been a success so far.

 

[BACsop]

Part of the Buckhead skyline in Atlanta from a recent trip. In the foreground you can see one of the headhouses for MARTA's Red Line:

 

[stick n move]

I’m noticing more and more of these new masterplanned neighborhoods popping up around the country that seem to be creating a fairly dense middle ground type of neighborhood that are walkable with good transit access, but are for people who still need a car. Most Americans who live outside a major city still need to own a car in order to get to work, but these neighborhoods are being designed to be walkable, with retail, grocery stores, transit access, park space, good street walls, and the parking is hidden. Theyre being designed so people can still have a car, but they can use it as little as possible because most needs are within walking distance.

Unlike most regular suburbs today theyre being built densely, near transit, and designed around walking and biking instead of driving. The car is in the garage if you need it, but its out of sight and you can do most things you need without it. I think this is a good way to get people more used to living in denser walkable communities without them having to go from having a car to no car right off the bat.



Edge on Hudson, Sleepy hollow NY

Theres a grocery store, its located right next to the tarrytown metro north station, the condos all face the street or shared courtyards, the car parking and garages are hidden in back and on service roads. Theres multiple new parks going in, a river walk, and lots of ground floor retail and some restaurants going in the bigger condo buildings.



Highland Bridge, St Paul (ford plant redevelopment)

Here is pretty similar except theres a massive shared park in the middle of the development with a river. Theres a bus route right across the north of the site and a 7 min walk to the 46th street station for the blue line light rail. These townhouses also have garages but theyre in the back accessible by service roads and the front of the townhouses are right up to the street. The car access means each condo doesnt have its own green-space in the back, but I feel its made up for with the massive shared park space. To the north of the site is a bunch of apartments with lots of ground floor retail, grocery..etc.




Eastern Wharf, Savannah Georgia

I feel like these are a great model for a better way to densify our suburbs without everything just being single family homes and 5 over 1’s. If a lot of these get built more and more people will get exposure to being able to live in a walkable area and it creates a missing middle type of neighborhood that bridges the gap between suburb and city.

 

[stick n move]

Vegas MLB stadium u/c

Link

Athletics Ballpark | HNTB

Set along the Las Vegas Strip, the new home of the Athletics brings the MLB into one of the world’s most iconic entertainment destinations.

www.hntb.com

 

[Arenacale]

I didn't know that they had already started construction on the stadium, let alone that it was that far along already.

I question the long-term viability of both the A's and the Raiders in Vegas as the city is in a downturn and I don't see how it gets better with gambling being available so many other places now.

 

[stick n move]

What Ive heard is they just focus on the high rollers now and somehow that makes up for it but I dont believe it. Anyways vegas is a pretty huge city now with just under 700,000 people, its the 24th largest city in the us. With lots of americans moving to the southern states looking for cheaper housing and good weather its been a beneficiary of that.

With that being said Ive always wondered why they dont try to diversify their economy more. Ive always felt that they should be building office towers in their downtown instead of only resorts on the strip. Theres no reason they have to only focus on entertainment, they could have a regular downtown where companies could move their HQ’s and where business is done. It would even give office space to where the casino companies could have their office HQ, mgm has their HQ in an office building in LA. I’m sure theres plenty of companies that would at least have an office there. Starting from almost scratch they could try to make the downtown walkable/bikeable and maybe even a street car. Seems like a lost opportunity to diversify their economy.

 

[citydweller]

I suppose an enclosed stadium makes sense since southern NV is essentially a desert but baseball should be played outdoors. (imo)

 

[Charlie_mta]

Eastern Wharf, Savannah Georgia

Wow, these are beautiful new brick residential buildings. Why don't Boston and the surrounding cities build something like these? Instead we get multi-colored panels randomly thrown together apparently designed by an Excel spreadsheet.

 

[stick n move]

I suppose an enclosed stadium makes sense since southern NV is essentially a desert but baseball should be played outdoors. (imo)

Yea I tend to agree. Maybe a glass roof would make it feel less enclosed, but as cool as this looks from the outside, from the inside it looks like youre in a huge domed walmart.

Athletics Ballpark | HNTB

Set along the Las Vegas Strip, the new home of the Athletics brings the MLB into one of the world’s most iconic entertainment destinations.

www.hntb.com

-Ironically the other newest stadium in vegas, the nfl stadium, had a “clear” roof installed, but in practice it came out clouded. Maybe the technology isnt there yet for something completely clear than can span such huge distances.

If thats the case I wonder if instead they should just build a normal roof and completely cover it in led screens that project the sky? Another project in vegas the sphere already accomplished this feat so it is possible. I’m surprised none of the domed stadiums have done this yet. Even if they can come up with something clear to span the roof youre still going to have beams and supports getting in the way and breaking the illusion, with screens you wouldnt see anything other than what was projected. I’m sure eventually this will have to be attempted by someone as technology keeps moving forward and screens at stadiums keep getting bigger.

 

[Bananarama]

Ironically the other newest stadium in vegas, the nfl stadium, had a “clear” roof installed, but in practice it came out clouded. Maybe the technology isnt there yet for something completely clear than can span such huge distances.

The roof on Allegiant stadium is ETFE (fancy clear plastic) and can be specified in different opacities. They definitely chose a more translucent one to mitigate some crazy heat gain from the desert sun.
Sofi stadium in southern CA used a slightly more transparent of the same ETFE and they have overheating issues. Totally clear roofs are just a bad idea - the new MLB stadium is doing it the right way with large, vertical, north facing windows (no direct sun).

 

[bdurden]

View attachment 72921
View attachment 72922

Wow, these are beautiful new brick residential buildings. Why don't Boston and the surrounding cities build something like these? Instead we get multi-colored panels randomly thrown together apparently designed by an Excel spreadsheet.

Savannah has some of the most rigorous design standards when new development falls within the Savannah Historic Overlay District, which the Eastern Wharf development is included in. This is really a downtown Riverwalk extension rather than anything they would build in the suburbs there.

Speaking of the Riverwalk, I was particularly impressed on a recent visit with the Riverwalk extension on the western edge, where a power plant was converted in a hotel, music venue, and an entirely new district dubbed Plant Riverside:

 

[stick n move]

Savannah has some of the most rigorous design standards when new development falls within the Savannah Historic Overlay District, which the Eastern Wharf development is included in. This is really a downtown Riverwalk extension rather than anything they would build in the suburbs there.

Speaking of the Riverwalk, I was particularly impressed on a recent visit with the Riverwalk extension on the western edge, where a power plant was converted in a hotel, music venue, and an entirely new district dubbed Plant Riverside:
View attachment 72951

That would make sense why throughout downtown savannah theyve been getting lots of high quality developments popping up the last few years. Id imagine charleston is the same because they have been too.

I’m too lazy to look them up right now but heres a nice example from charleston.

 

[JumboBuc]

Savannah has some of the most rigorous design standards when new development falls within the Savannah Historic Overlay District, which the Eastern Wharf development is included in. This is really a downtown Riverwalk extension rather than anything they would build in the suburbs there.

Speaking of the Riverwalk, I was particularly impressed on a recent visit with the Riverwalk extension on the western edge, where a power plant was converted in a hotel, music venue, and an entirely new district dubbed Plant Riverside:
View attachment 72951

This is Everett in an alternative universe, Tobin and all.