Many new high rise buildings are planned for London, changing the skyline we should preserve. Right, or wrong?

Question

Many other countries guard their big city skylines around areas where there are famous buildings Should we do this?

Answer 1

London is an international business and finance centre, not a museum. All the buildings in London were built as expressions of power, just as the new ones will be.

What's that expression about change bieng neccessary for things to remain the same?

Answer 2

The usual skyline for an English city is usually pretty low, compared to, say the USA cities. London is the exception. Its international status requires that it's buildings have a "greatness". This greatness is maintained by a) traditional landmarks such as St.Pauls or the Houses of Parliament, and b) new and interesting buildings, like that gerkin thingy on Canary Warf. This situation reinforces the idea that London is a great historical city, but also a major modern centre of British, European and World business and culture.

Answer 3

Think of cities as vibrant, living things that reflect the living, changing people who live in them.  The main reason great cities have great architecture is that they had great people who designed those buildings as a way to reflect the feeling of the city in that moment.  As we are a more global, technological world, our cities and the buildings in them should be representative of that.

I also agree that it is good to build communities within existing cities that work for the people who will live there.  It is much better than crowding out our already diminishing farmland and forests, which we need to keep our cities (and people!) vibrant!

Answer 4

Changing the character of a city is a valid issue.  However, unless a city places requirements on zones around famous buildings for any construction to be respectful of the historic buildings, I don't see much leverage you can apply.  If you decide to get involved, a more likely approach would be to work for proper infrastructure--circulation (cars, pedestrian, bicycles, ...), public safety, sewage, ...--to support the new developments.  I understand London already has horrendous traffic.  Perhaps that's something to focus on.

Answer 5

Better to build up then out . Save what land you have to grow food

Answer 6

Since London is built out it makes sense to go up.  Sprawl is worse, anyway.  The city needs to determine how high is too high.

Hopefully the new structures will be built as green as possible, using recycled materials when possible.

Answer 7

How high can they go?  How much can they change the skyline?  There's nothing that we can do if some big money person wants to do it.  Compared to the rest of the sky one or two wouldn't really harm or hurt anybody; except in the building of them.  Sometimes a worker falls off and dies during construction.

We need to change the things that are changeable.  Leave the rest alone.