Actually, yes. If you look at an aerial view[1], you can see that there are only skyscrapers in two fairly small parts of the island. Much of the rest has zonin

Actually, yes. If you look at an aerial view[1], you can see that there are only skyscrapers in two fairly small parts of the island. Much of the rest has zoning rules that don't allow taller buildings. Even when the taller buildings are allowed, there are things like setback requirements that lower the amount of floor space that the building can contain. Frequently, the buildings that you can see aren't even representative of what the current restrictions allow. Many building in Manhattan were built long ago when zoning was less strict. Forty percent of the buildings in Manhattan could not be built today because they don't meet zoning requirements[2]. [1] https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/9e/13/54/9e13549111a1585842d6ac562f4e1ddc.jpg https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/9e/13/54/9e13... [2] http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/05/19/upshot/forty-percent-of-manhattans-buildings-could-not-be-built-today.html?_r=0 http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/05/19/upshot/forty-p...