The love affair with tall buildings is undeniable. Architects have, with mixed success, created a number of significant icons. Questions remain, however, as to whether these buildings actually make cities better places given their impacts on the public realm.

Tall buildings can create a number of common problems:

• Restricted sunlight
• Exacerbated wind conditions
• Lack of activation at ground and lower levels resulting in poor safety and surveillance
• Poor contextual response

These issues, however, can be tackled with good landscape and urban design writes Dean Thornton, Discipline Leader – Urban and Landscape Design.

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