As a new breed of super tall and super skinny towers rise in Midtown, Manhattan, local residents, politicians, and activists are increasingly worried that these gargantuan glass structures will cast long shadows over Central Park, providing billionaires with unprecedented views and plunging the streets below into darkness.
This week, Manhattan’s Community Board 5 called for a temporary and immediate moratorium on construction of all buildings 600 feet or higher built without public review. The board’s district includes the so-called Billionaires Row along 57th Street where many of these towers are concentrated. A moratorium would give the city council and the mayor time to review the impact these towers could have on light and air, as well as review the city’s zoning code, which was last overhauled in 1961. The board, which is an advisory body, hopes its resolution will spur elected officials to act.
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