From the Golden Age of Skyscrapers, an Eyesore No More

Anthony Paletta takes a look at a new book by Elihu Rubin, chronicling the intriguing political history behind the construction of Boston's Prudential Center in the mid-1950s.

2 minute read

June 30, 2012, 7:00 AM PDT

By Ryan Lue


The course of urban development in America, Paletta argues, has long been shaped by an overbearing love affair between "the highway engineer and the forward-thinking corporation" – much to the peril of those who use and occupy the city. Elihu Rubin presents a rare case wherein that romance ultimately served to strengthen city spaces in his new book, Insuring the City: The Prudential Center and the Postwar Urban Landscape.

During a period drunk with the symbolic power of the skyscraper, just as the second half of the century was beginning to unfold, Prudential was on the hunt for a site for its New England Regional headquarters. But once Prudential set its sights on Boston's Back Bay rail yard, it fell into contention with the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, which envisioned an extension of the turnpike running "squarely through the rail yard site." City officials rushed to bring the two visions together, and after a rather painless compromise and a hard-won tax exemption for Prudential, its new signature tower was born.

"The Pru was not by anyone's lights an unqualified triumph," Rubin notes. "As time went on, they were eventually addressed by an extensive reexamination and refurbishment of the project; indeed, these revisions have continued into the 21st century. One indicator of the Pru's success over the long run, however, has been its demonstrated malleability. Designed as an enclave, with its ring road holding back the surrounding city and its podium resting on three layers of parking garages, recent alterations and additions have transformed the Prudential Center from an urban island into what is intended to be a piece of connective urban tissue."

Thursday, June 28, 2012 in Metropolis Magazine

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Millbrae BART station.

HSR Reaches Key Settlement in Northern California City

The state’s high-speed rail authority reached an agreement with Millbrae, a key city on the train’s proposed route to San Francisco.

April 24 - San Diego Post

Spiral ramp on exterior of parking garage in downtown Spokane, Washington.

Washington State Legislature Passes Parking Reform Bill

A bill that would limit parking requirements for new developments is headed to the governor’s desk.

April 24 - OPB

Missouri state capitol dome in Jefferson City, MO.

Missouri Law Would Ban Protections for Housing Voucher Users

A state law seeks to overturn source-of-income discrimination bans passed by several Missouri cities.

April 24 - Missouri Independent