Manhattanization

The island of Manhattan in New York City, United States, from which the term is derived

Manhattanization is a neologism coined to describe the construction of many tall or densely situated buildings, which transforms the appearance and character of a city to what is similar to Manhattan, the most densely populated borough of New York City.[1] It was a pejorative word used by critics of the highrise buildings built in San Francisco during the 1960s and 1970s, who claimed the skyscrapers would block views of the bay and the surrounding hills.[2] With careful urban planning, the phenomenon became more accepted in time.[3] The term also gained usage as a buzzword for high-density developments in Las Vegas,[4][5] Los Angeles,[6] Dubai,[7] and Miami in the early 2000s[8] and again in the 2010s.[9] Another example is the high rise development in Toronto since 2007,[10] as well as rapid development of skyscrapers in Hong Kong and Tokyo since the 1970s, eventually allowing Hong Kong to possess more skyscrapers than New York.[11][12] The term has even been applied to many smaller US cities that have seen a large spike in downtown high rise rental buildings since the 21st century.[13]

  1. ^ "Definition of Manhattanize at Dictionary.com". Archived from the original on May 7, 2009. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  2. ^ "Skyscrapers Soaring in San Francisco". The Washington Post. June 29, 1969. p. H6. The high-rises, said University of California architectural critic Allan Temko, 'cause the hills to lose their impact and they interfere with the view of the bay.'
  3. ^ Nolte, Carl (April 19, 2014). "Manhattanization revisited". SF Gate. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
  4. ^ Smith, Hubble (May 28, 2010). "Problems continue in high-rise condo market". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  5. ^ Las Vegas High Rise Condo Magazine - High Rise, Midrise, and Loft Projects Archived 2006-04-27 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Kotkin, Joel (August 12, 2007). "Why rush to Manhattanize L.A.?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
  7. ^ Emerald Group Publishing (2013), p. xx.
  8. ^ Greenspan, Elizabeth (October 23, 2013). "How to Manhattanize a city". The New Yorker. Retrieved November 15, 2015.
  9. ^ Adams, David; Fagenson, Zachary (November 12, 2015). "Traffic gridlock in Miami spurs search for transit solutions". Reuters. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
  10. ^ Alcoba, Natalie (August 27, 2014). "Toronto's 'Manhattanization': Downtown development growing at 'mind blowing' rate". National Post. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
  11. ^ "Living the high life: Hong Kong tops world charts for skyscrapers - and most of them are residential". South China Morning Post. 2015-12-31. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  12. ^ Shu‐Ki, Tsang (2007-04-27). "The Hong Kong economy: Opportunities out of the crisis?". Journal of Contemporary China. 8:20 (29–45): 29–45. doi:10.1080/10670569908724334.
  13. ^ Dougherty, Conor (April 25, 2014). "High-Rise Apartment Buildings Sprout in Downtowns Nationwide". The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company. Retrieved November 16, 2015.