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 this new type of masterplanned neighborhood popping up in suburbs around the country that seem to be creating a good middle ground for dense neighborhoods 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 be able to do many things, but these neighborhoods are being designed to be walkable, with plenty of retail, grocery stores, transit access, park space, good street walls, and the parking is mostly hidden. Basically its still a suburb so the people still own a car but the built environment around them encourages them to use it as little as possible because most needs are within walking distance.


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.

I feel like these are a great model for a better way to densify our suburbs without them having to end up looking like low density sprawl and strip malls everywhere designed entirely around the car.