American culture is very focused on the detached single family home and suburban office park. Outside of a handful of cities high rise construction is looked upon negatively and often actively discouraged. Perhaps even mote importantly public transit is almost universally maligned and vehemently opposed. Without transit it’s basically impossible for highrises to even function.
Map made with Datawrapper and Canva. Sources for buildings under construction include local development forums such as SkyscraperCity, SkyscraperPage, UrbanPlanet, SkyriseCities,Houston Architecture, and Dallas Metroplis, and other websites such as NewYorkYimby, as well as internet searches for buildings under construction for those urban areas without such a forum. For Toronto and Vancouver, I added up the number of buildings in the [SkyscraperPage database](https://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?cityID=12&statusID=2) listed as under construction. I’ve compiled the buildings into a [document here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ux8iLhbOjvdHrkZaBg0AXdjHcOKrBhhmo8W3uQsQaG8/edit?usp=sharing) for reference so you can check if your city is listed accurately.
Numbers include buildings undergoing foundation work and those that are topped out but not yet opened. Proposals, usage conversions, and buildings in the demolition stage are not counted. Buildings that have started construction but are on hold for over 3 years are not included either.
Keep in mind that this map only shows high-rise construction, not construction in general – Los Angeles is adding a lot of units through missing middle developments, for example. All municipalities in the same MSA or CSA are grouped into the same bubble.
Toronto Condo market fked.
Wow Miami alone has more than double the quantity of the entire state of CA. It’s really remarkable how much of a failure CA’s housing policy has been. Then again I suppose it serves its purpose of limiting population growth and benefitting existing homeowners.
Kinda highlights why California has a housing crisis. You can’t build anything there
What’s going on with Halifax and Kelowna? they’re a little off the beaten path, no?
I wish I knew more about the development dynamics in Vancouver and Toronto. In the US, there’s a strong correlation between transit, natural features, and a strong (or strengthening) core. Some of my anecdotes are below.
Atlanta continues to benefit from a strong core supported by MARTA. Midtown and Buckhead have been steadily densifying for decades with fewer vacant lots or large sites. The Beltline provides an attractive natural amenity and future transit will only increase demand while also spreading it south and east of the core.
Austin has seen a significant transformation. The park system along Lady Bird Lake, Barton Creek, etc. provides a dramatic backdrop for highrise development but also provides a natural boundary. The influx of capital from tech companies is also a factor.
Dallas (where I live) may see more high rises if there wasn’t so much land available and attractive areas to put mid rise apartments. Like the metro, Dallas’ core is more dispersed and overly reliant on cars. This may change with the reconfiguration of the highways encircling downtown and a push for more authentic cultural attractions.
Chicago high-rise construction may be limited by the over-concentration of existing highrises between the North/South branches of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. I’m always surprised that there isn’t more development to the west of the loop but then I’m reminded that CTA’s rail service is focused on the loop and north.
Overall, this is a great map and will be fodder for more conversations.
I work with cranes in Toronto. It’s a full time job just dismantling and erecting. We have so many, lately however projects are being put on hold because the condo market is in shambles.
The Top 10 (Total) list appears to be missing Halifax (33) above Ottawa (31). u/LivinAWestLife
Thanks for making this! Really cool to see!
I am kinda surprised with KW and Guelph. I’m on a 14 story in Guelph currently and can see a good amount of tower cranes so it’s surprising it’s only 4. I was in KW before and there were dozens of tower cranes on the skyline, it could have really slowed down tho.
![[OC] US & Canada High-rise Construction Activity in 2024](https://www.europesays.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/4jv8cnx5awed1-1920x1024.png)
11 comments
American culture is very focused on the detached single family home and suburban office park. Outside of a handful of cities high rise construction is looked upon negatively and often actively discouraged. Perhaps even mote importantly public transit is almost universally maligned and vehemently opposed. Without transit it’s basically impossible for highrises to even function.
Map made with Datawrapper and Canva. Sources for buildings under construction include local development forums such as SkyscraperCity, SkyscraperPage, UrbanPlanet, SkyriseCities,Houston Architecture, and Dallas Metroplis, and other websites such as NewYorkYimby, as well as internet searches for buildings under construction for those urban areas without such a forum. For Toronto and Vancouver, I added up the number of buildings in the [SkyscraperPage database](https://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?cityID=12&statusID=2) listed as under construction. I’ve compiled the buildings into a [document here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ux8iLhbOjvdHrkZaBg0AXdjHcOKrBhhmo8W3uQsQaG8/edit?usp=sharing) for reference so you can check if your city is listed accurately.
Numbers include buildings undergoing foundation work and those that are topped out but not yet opened. Proposals, usage conversions, and buildings in the demolition stage are not counted. Buildings that have started construction but are on hold for over 3 years are not included either.
Note that this graph is likely not 100% accurate due to reporting and the lack of a reliable database. If there are mistakes or omissions (which is likely) please do correct me and I will update the map on my top-level comment on [my post on r/skyscrapers](https://www.reddit.com/r/skyscrapers/comments/1eb4wj7/comment/leq4m58/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button) as well as list them here.
Keep in mind that this map only shows high-rise construction, not construction in general – Los Angeles is adding a lot of units through missing middle developments, for example. All municipalities in the same MSA or CSA are grouped into the same bubble.
Toronto Condo market fked.
Wow Miami alone has more than double the quantity of the entire state of CA. It’s really remarkable how much of a failure CA’s housing policy has been. Then again I suppose it serves its purpose of limiting population growth and benefitting existing homeowners.
Kinda highlights why California has a housing crisis. You can’t build anything there
What’s going on with Halifax and Kelowna? they’re a little off the beaten path, no?
I wish I knew more about the development dynamics in Vancouver and Toronto. In the US, there’s a strong correlation between transit, natural features, and a strong (or strengthening) core. Some of my anecdotes are below.
Atlanta continues to benefit from a strong core supported by MARTA. Midtown and Buckhead have been steadily densifying for decades with fewer vacant lots or large sites. The Beltline provides an attractive natural amenity and future transit will only increase demand while also spreading it south and east of the core.
Austin has seen a significant transformation. The park system along Lady Bird Lake, Barton Creek, etc. provides a dramatic backdrop for highrise development but also provides a natural boundary. The influx of capital from tech companies is also a factor.
Dallas (where I live) may see more high rises if there wasn’t so much land available and attractive areas to put mid rise apartments. Like the metro, Dallas’ core is more dispersed and overly reliant on cars. This may change with the reconfiguration of the highways encircling downtown and a push for more authentic cultural attractions.
Chicago high-rise construction may be limited by the over-concentration of existing highrises between the North/South branches of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. I’m always surprised that there isn’t more development to the west of the loop but then I’m reminded that CTA’s rail service is focused on the loop and north.
Overall, this is a great map and will be fodder for more conversations.
I work with cranes in Toronto. It’s a full time job just dismantling and erecting. We have so many, lately however projects are being put on hold because the condo market is in shambles.
The Top 10 (Total) list appears to be missing Halifax (33) above Ottawa (31). u/LivinAWestLife
Thanks for making this! Really cool to see!
I am kinda surprised with KW and Guelph. I’m on a 14 story in Guelph currently and can see a good amount of tower cranes so it’s surprising it’s only 4. I was in KW before and there were dozens of tower cranes on the skyline, it could have really slowed down tho.