Jason M. Barr | |
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Nationality | American |
Occupation | Professor of economics |
Organization | Rutgers University Newark |
Website | https://www.jasonmbarr.com/ |
Jason M. Barr is an American economist and author at Rutgers University-Newark, whose work is in the field of "skynomics", the study of skyscrapers and skylines using modern economics methods. [1] [2] [3] [4] He is the author of Building the Skyline: The Birth and Growth of Manhattan's Skyscrapers, which chronicled the history of the Manhattan skyline from an economic perspective. [5] [6] Barr's work is interdisciplinary and integrates multiple disciplines including urban studies, geography, and economic history. Barr is one of the few economists studying the intersection of economics and skyscraper construction.
Barr earned his B.S. from Cornell University in 1992, his M.F.A. in creative writing from Emerson College in 1995 and his Ph.D. in economics from Columbia University in 2002. [7]
Barr has conducted research in Changchun, China, and at the Observatoire Français des Conjonctures Économiques. He also received grants from the Land Economic Foundation, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, and the WCF/National Park Service. Dr. Barr is an affiliated faculty member with the Global Urban Systems Ph.D. program. His research interests include urban economics and agent-based computational economics. Dr. Barr serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, the Eastern Economic Journal and the Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination.
Barr's work has addressed widely held myths or misconceptions about skyscrapers and cities. [8] [9] [10] [11] For example, research performed by Barr and his colleagues showed that there was no evidence for the Skyscraper Curse, that the completion of the world's tallest building is a herald of an economic crisis. [12] [13] Barr has also debunked the misconception that Manhattan's geological conditions have been the reason there are few skyscrapers between lower Manhattan and Midtown. [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] Rather, Barr's work demonstrates that Midtown's origin was due to the city's demographic evolution and the fact that Manhattan is a long, but narrow, island that concentrated economic activity to a much greater degree, as compared to other cities. [19] [20] Barr has also written extensively on zoning in the United States including the role of Robert Moses and the City Planning Commission creating the current NYC zones.
Barr is an advocate of land reclamation projects such as those seen in Hong Kong and the Netherlands. He is also an advocate of Lower Manhattan expansion. On January 14, 2022 Barr wrote an opinion article in the New York Times [21] which proposed the expansion of Manhattan Island. [22] [23] [24] [25] This "New Mannahatta" project proposal was met with criticism from readers despite the project being quite similar to other already completed projects around the world. Among other academics and city planners Barr's project was met with greater enthusiasm.
A group of developers is proposing to build the "Legends Tower," which would stand at a staggering height of 1,907 feet, making it the tallest building in the United States if completed. [26] This ambitious project is planned for Oklahoma City, a city not typically associated with skyscrapers of such magnitude. The tower is part of a larger mixed-use development project known as Boardwalk at Bricktown, which includes plans for a Hyatt hotel with hundreds of rooms, approximately 1,750 apartments, and 110,000 square feet of retail space and restaurants. The development aims to capitalize on the growing demand for residential spaces and entertainment options in the area, including new sports arenas and stadiums. However, the proposal faces skepticism due to concerns about financing, market demand, and the tower's ability to withstand the region's severe weather conditions, including tornadoes. [27] Despite these challenges, the project has garnered attention for its potential to put Oklahoma City on the map and stimulate economic growth in the region. The proposal to build the "Legends Tower" in Oklahoma City has stirred considerable debate, with economist Jason Barr expressing skepticism. He questions the economic viability of such a project in a city like Oklahoma City, stating, "It would pencil out in New York, it would pencil out in Chicago, but statistically I can’t see it penciling out in Oklahoma City." Barr raises concerns about the project's financing and whether the market demand in Oklahoma City can support the costs associated with constructing such a towering structure. He also doubts the rationale for including an observation deck, stating, "I’ve never been to Oklahoma City, but what do you see when you go to the observatory? Prairie or whatever? I can’t imagine that’s something that would draw a lot of people." [28] Barr's reservations highlight the challenges facing the developers as they seek to bring their ambitious vision to fruition amidst uncertainties about its economic feasibility and practicality in the context of Oklahoma City's urban landscape.
"Building the Skyline" by Jason Barr explores the evolution of Manhattan's iconic skyscrapers, delving into the economic factors shaping their development. Barr considers Manhattan's geological history, influencing early land use and neighborhood formation, such as the dense tenements of Five Points and the Lower East Side. He explains why skyscrapers emerged downtown and later in midtown, debunking geological myths. Instead, he emphasizes economic and demographic forces driving construction patterns. The book highlights innovative urban solutions for accommodating dense populations. Through rigorous investigation, Barr offers insights into urban growth and city life, making "Building the Skyline" a significant contribution to understanding the dynamics of urbanization and architecture.
'Economic Drivers' explores China's economic reforms over the past four decades have spurred immense urban growth, marked by a proliferation of skyscrapers across its cities. While these structures symbolize China's economic prowess, little research has focused on their construction. This report aims to fill this gap by analyzing the economic factors driving skyscraper development in China. Using data from 1980 to 2014 across 74 cities, the study examines how economic incentives, social and political benefits, and city identity contribute to skyscraper construction. Regression models reveal a complex interplay between economic fundamentals and competitive motivations. The findings underscore the economic rationale behind China's skyscraper boom and lay the groundwork for further exploration into their role in urbanization.
"Cities in the Sky" by Jason Barr explores the global phenomenon of skyscraper construction, delving into the motivations, economics, and impact of these towering structures. From iconic landmarks like the Empire State Building to modern marvels such as the Shanghai Tower and the Burj Khalifa, Barr examines the architectural and engineering feats behind each skyscraper. He dispels myths about their origins, discusses the technological advancements driving their proliferation, and analyzes their effects on city skylines and economies. The book covers the evolution of skyscrapers from early American developments to contemporary trends in cities like London, Hong Kong, and Dubai. Barr also addresses the controversies surrounding skyscrapers, including their high costs and environmental impacts. "Cities in the Sky" offers insight into the past, present, and future of urban verticality, appealing to urbanists, architecture enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the evolving landscape of modern cities.
A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources define skyscrapers as being at least 100 meters (330 ft) or 150 meters (490 ft) in height, though there is no universally accepted definition, other than being very tall high-rise buildings. Historically, the term first referred to buildings with between 10 and 20 stories when these types of buildings began to be constructed in the 1880s. Skyscrapers may host offices, hotels, residential spaces, and retail spaces.
A tower block, high-rise, apartment tower, residential tower, apartment block, block of flats, or office tower is a tall building, as opposed to a low-rise building and is defined differently in terms of height depending on the jurisdiction. It is used as a residential, office building, or other functions including hotel, retail, or with multiple purposes combined. Residential high-rise buildings are also known in some varieties of English, such as British English, as tower blocks and may be referred to as MDUs, standing for multi-dwelling units. A very tall high-rise building is referred to as a skyscraper.
The Flatiron District is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan of New York City, named after the Flatiron Building at 23rd Street, Broadway and Fifth Avenue. Generally, the Flatiron District is bounded by 14th Street, Union Square and Greenwich Village to the south; the Avenue of the Americas and Chelsea to the west; 23rd Street and Madison Square to the north; and Park Avenue South and Gramercy Park to the east.
The geography of New York City is characterized by its coastal position at the meeting of the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean in a naturally sheltered harbor. The city's geography, with its scarce availability of land, is a contributing factor in making New York the most densely populated major city in the United States. Environmental issues are chiefly concerned with managing this density, which also explains why New York is among the most energy-efficient and least automobile-dependent cities in the United States. The city's climate is temperate.
The building form most closely associated with New York City is the skyscraper, which has shifted many commercial and residential districts from low-rise to high-rise. Surrounded mostly by water, the city has amassed one of the largest and most varied collection of skyscrapers in the world.
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. 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. With careful urban planning, the phenomenon became more accepted in time. The term also gained usage as a buzzword for high-density developments in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Dubai, and Miami in the early 2000s and again in the 2010s. Another example is the high rise development in Toronto since 2007, 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. 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.
Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG), an architecture firm and design firm based in Chicago, is engaged in the design and development of energy-efficient and sustainable architecture. AS+GG designs buildings, cities, masterplans and components of these, for an international clientele, with projects located throughout the world. The primary uses of these designs are civic, commercial, cultural, hospitality, residential and mixed-use. AS+GG also specializes in supertall skyscrapers, such as the Jeddah Tower, which will overtake the Burj Khalifa as the world's tallest building when completed.
The Madison Square Garden Towers were the name of proposed twin 1,400 ft-tall (427 m) residential skyscrapers that were to be constructed north of Madison Square Garden in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The project featured a complex of seven buildings, including a stadium and a new Penn Station. The cost of the project was US$14 billion. The architects Norman Foster and David Childs, and the architectural firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill were designing the project. The owners were Stephen Ross of Related Cos. and Steven Roth of Vornado Realty Trust. The towers would have risen to be two of the tallest structures in the Midtown Manhattan skyline, with one rising higher than the Empire State Building, currently one of New York's tallest buildings at 1,250 feet and would also have been higher than the roof, though not the spire, of One World Trade Center. The towers are essentially canceled as Madison Square Garden went ahead with renovations of the current arena, rather than a relocation that would have made the towers possible.
The Skyscraper Index is a concept put forward by Andrew Lawrence, a property analyst at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, in January 1999, which showed that the world's tallest buildings have risen on the eve of economic downturns. Business cycles and skyscraper construction correlate in such a way that investment in skyscrapers peaks when cyclical growth is exhausted and the economy is ready for recession. Mark Thornton's Skyscraper Index Model successfully sent a signal of the late-2000s financial crisis at the beginning of August 2007.
Michael Stern is an American real estate developer.
Tower Fifth is a skyscraper proposed for Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The developer, Macklowe Properties, has completed other projects including the redevelopment of the General Motors Building and construction of 432 Park Avenue. Plans for the structure were first revealed in January 2019, and the developer continued purchasing buildings to create an assemblage in 2019, closing on a building in March 2020, and continuing to eye buildings in June 2020. Demolition permits were first filed in April 2020.
Skyline Tower, previously known as Court Square City View Tower, is a residential skyscraper in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens in New York City. The building topped out in October 2019, surpassing One Court Square to become the tallest building in Queens at 762 feet (232 m). For two years, it was also the tallest building on Long Island; in October 2021, the building was surpassed in height when the Brooklyn Tower topped out. It was completed in July 2021.
Opus Place is an under construction development in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Located in Midtown Atlanta, the development is currently expected to consist of a large residential high-rise, called No. 2 Opus Place, and possibly a smaller tower. Upon its completion, No. 2 Opus Place would be among the tallest buildings in Atlanta and the tallest residential building in the city. The project was first developed in 2014, but underwent a significant alteration in 2016.
The uptown trend of Manhattan, allegorized as an inexorable parade of destiny on its "march uptown", refers to the northward socioeconomic real estate trend toward Uptown, a long-standing historical pattern from the 17th to the 20th centuries. Beginning with New Amsterdam at the island's southern tip, European colonial and later American settlement under the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 expanded continually in a common direction.
270 Park Avenue, also known as the JPMorgan Chase Building, is a supertall skyscraper under construction on the East Side of the Midtown neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Designed by the firm of Foster + Partners, the skyscraper is expected to rise 1,388 feet (423 m) when completed in 2025.
Legends Tower is a proposed American supertall skyscraper to be built in the Bricktown entertainment district of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. The 134-story building would stand 1,907 feet (581 m) tall, a reference to Oklahoma's admission to the Union in 1907. Developed by real estate firm Matteson Capital and architecture firm AO, Legends Tower would be the centerpiece of planned mixed-use development The Boardwalk at Bricktown.