WTC: Are The New Designs Practical?

The new design proposals developed by prominent architects and artists are bold but are they practical? In a city hit hard by terrorism, are these designs safe?

1 minute read

December 20, 2002, 9:00 AM PST

By Abhijeet Chavan @http://twitter.com/legalaidtech


"One in every four floors of commercial space in downtown Manhattan sits vacant. 'They're acting as if rebuilding office space is central to New York's recovery, and that's not true,' said Mitchell Moss of the Taub Urban Research Center at New York University. "These plans will not get built in your lifetime... Peter Eisenman, whose firm presented a picket fencelike series of thin towers rising from a thick forested park, took a different view. He said his firm presented a 'more realistic' and less expensive version in hopes of winning the competition.He gave voice to a question that many in the audience asked one another: Were these grandiose office towers safe and practical in this terrorist-chastened city?"

Thanks to Abhijeet Chavan

Thursday, December 19, 2002 in The Washington Post

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

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

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 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Blue and white Seattle Link light rail train exiting concrete Downtown Bellevue Tunnel in Bellevue, WA.

Why Should We Subsidize Public Transportation?

Many public transit agencies face financial stress due to rising costs, declining fare revenue, and declining subsidies. Transit advocates must provide a strong business case for increasing public transit funding.

April 7, 2025 - Todd Litman

Two people on bikes in red painted bike lane with bus in traffic lane next to them.

Understanding Road Diets

An explainer from Momentum highlights the advantages of reducing vehicle lanes in favor of more bike, transit, and pedestrian infrastructure.

6 hours ago - Momentum Magazine

Aerial view of large warehouses across from development of suburban single-family homes in Jurupa, California with desert mountains in background.

New California Law Regulates Warehouse Pollution

A new law tightens building and emissions regulations for large distribution warehouses to mitigate air pollution and traffic in surrounding communities.

7 hours ago - Black Voice News

Purple Phoenix light rail train connected to overhead wires at sunset.

Phoenix Announces Opening Date for Light Rail Extension

The South Central extension will connect South Phoenix to downtown and other major hubs starting on June 7.

April 17 - Arizona Republic