A fine exposition of one of the tradeoffs in city planning
June 17, 2008
Washington, D.C. limits the height of buildings.
Benefits: " . . . a day to appreciate the building-height limits that allow unobstructed views of the fireworks on the Mall from roof decks miles away. Washington's height restriction has preserved the city's modest scale, preventing the Manhattanization of the downtown business district."
Costs: ". . . the D.C. height restriction has also promoted suburban sprawl, boxified the city's architecture and deadened Washington's downtown. It has inflated office rents, deflated the municipal tax base, limited affordable housing, contributed to the region's hideous traffic jams and generally helped keep Washington a second-tier city despite the unrelenting growth of its major industry -- the government."
(Link via commenter "Davod" on my wife's blog.)