New-York tribune., 1921-11-06
1e Into the Countryeres an Attractive House Desie
Ne,o York Of Tomorrow
Viii Be City of Pyramids
Graduating Heights Will Make Manhattans Skyline
Most Interesting in World; This and Other
Benefits Fruits of Zoning Regulations

Pyramid skyscrapers erected In this
sisv during the last few years are one
af the results OK the coming resolution.
fhe trainers of the new law recognized
that the eldfashioned skyscraper occu-
pssng 100 per cent OF the land, rearing
d entire bulk to its full height and
then pushing out u cornice over the
street was sn injury to its neighbers,
the street and the city. It injured it's
aeghoers because is did not share
With them the opportunities for light
sad air The first building of the sort
that went up IN given area would
rent well because it monopolized the
hghs and air of its neighbors. but
wren others went up rooms were dark
sned, ventilation was impaired and
rents fell. Sometimes the first high
huiIding prevented the development Of
nearhy land. The reason it hurt the
street WIS because it made the street
. dark canyon where sunlight could
not penetrate TO the lower floors of
buildings. The reason the city was
beng hurt was because skyscrapers Of
anregulated height and bulk taxed the
capacity OF small streets and If con-
tinued indefinitely would overwh elm
street facilities and means of trans
pertstion.
Inform Height UnsightIy
It was probably wise not to fix a
aat limit Of height. In downtown
Manhattan this would have been unfair
in certain cases to unimproved land. A
Uniform skyline was impossible ha
cause there we're so many extremely
high buildings. Many considered that
any effort to create a uniform sky
line was undesirable because the varied
skyline due to high buildings, pyra-
mids and towers IS one of the most
interesting features OF lower Man
hsttan.
On this account carefully prepared
plan was adopted, fully shown on the
height map which is part Of the zoning
resolution. In lower Manhattan a new
binding can rise to two and one-haf
times the width of the street on the
street line. Ii it goes higher than this
It must set back from the street line
one foot for every five feet of eleva-
ton. This required setback tends to
produce the pyramidal form. Towers
can be erected to any height so long
as they do not cover more than 25 per
cent of the area of the lot. Courts are
only Of moderate height, cannot cover
the entire lot
The Broadway locality above Canal
Street, the Grand Central district and
the Brooklyn business district are
nlarked two times on the height map
Tins means that new buildings cannot
be erected on the street line HIGHER
than twice the width OF the street.
and after reaching that height thew
must set back one foot for everv four
feet In height. Other localities are
one and one-aaif, one and one-ouarter
anG one. In suburban districts. where
there is no economic need of high
buildings, new building cannot be
erected on the street line higher than
once the width of the. street. If a
landowner wants to erect a higher
building he must buy more land and
set his building away from the street.
This grading of localities according
to allowable heights of new buildings
Recognizes that IN the intensively used
parts Of the city people must be near
together to do their business. but still
there can be q fair division OF light
and air. In the suburbs, however, where
people do not need to live so near to-
gether, there is an assurance Of an
abundance Of light and air.
VIII Promote Better Building
The broad business streets of up
town Manhattan will hereafter be light
streets. The pyramidal form of build
ings will allow sunlight to. reach the
street part Of the day, ard stores on
the lower floors will be fairly light.
Moreover, each tall building will divide
light and air with its neigh Dor. and the
street will be more uniformly i'm
proved. Architects are more and more
finding that the pyramidal building can
be made stately and imposing. Many
smaller cities that are adopting the
zcning plan are requiring a uniform
skyline neach district. However we'll
this method may be suited to smaller
cities. there is little doubt that pyram-
ida buildings. with their possibilities
for greater capacity, are suited to the
needs of New York.