Skyscrapers get a bad rap but are crucial to the success of cities, writes economics professor Jason Barr.

Skyscrapers remain controversial in the 21st century, yet they are getting taller and more numerous. Seven times more buildings of 150 metres or taller have sprung up since 2000 than were constructed in the entire 20th century. Five decades ago, the height of the tallest building completed each year globally averaged around 250 metres (55-60 storeys). Nowadays, they are typically double that height.
Since the birth of the skyscraper at the end of the 19th century, critics have argued that the tall building takes more from society than it gives in return. Many an architect predicted their eventual demise, including Frank Lloyd Wright, who later returned to the fold in 1956 with his mile-high prototype for Chicago. Height limits eventually fell by the wayside as cities realised they caused more harm than good
Around the turn of the 20th century, cities frequently banned skyscrapers. By 1921, at least 22 US cities ? including Chicago ? had height caps. In 1894, London restricted buildings to 80 feet (24 metres) tall. Yet height limits eventually fell by the wayside as cities realised they caused more harm than good by restricting the construction of needed buildings.
When New York City took a different approach in 1916 by regulating building shapes through setback rules, and its skyline mushroomed in the Roaring Twenties, global cities learned a lesson: great cities need...