12.08 Leaders Message

Depending on which hemisphere you live in, we are in the midst of another summer or winter. Regardless of the season, we are all experiencing different degrees of activity when it comes to our different professions. For the last four years or so, we’ve witnessed a global recession that has touched most places in this world in some form or fashion. But take a look at the latest issue of the CTBUH Journal and some of you might be thinking, “What recession?” Hopefully, for many, we may be finally turning the corner to more activity in our individual professions.

In the second quarter issue of the Journal you will find a host of articles and news reports about tall building activity on almost every continent (thankfully, no news to report from Antarctica regarding tall towers). The number of towers listed in demonstrates that there continues to be a need for these types of projects.

A recent issue of Time Magazine reported that, for the first time in 90 years, cities in the USA are growing faster than the suburbs in many of the larger metropolitan areas. Demographics show that young people are choosing to live in the city instead of flocking to the suburbs as they have historically done in recent decades. This translates into more towers in the heart of the city. That also means a reduction or slowdown in urban sprawl, which translates into less commuting by car, a reduction in the use of fossil fuels and several other benefits from this shift.

I invite you to dive into the many excellent and informative articles included in the current issue of the Journal. These include a case study of the Capital Gate building in Abu Dhabi, UAE. There are also a variety of research articles, including a look at how these iconic buildings that we design and construct can be made secure against potential threats.

CTBUH Journal is just one way we communicate the mission of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat: to disseminate multi-disciplinary information about tall buildings and the built environment. I think you will find we have done this quite well in this issue, and you will not be disappointed.

I also encourage you to review the second issue of the International Journal of High-Rise Buildings. The IJHRB focuses on research and investigations in tall building design. This current issue addresses planning and environmental engineering of high-rise buildings.

Finally, I invite you to join us in Shanghai, September 19-21 for the CTBUH’s 9th World Congress. As part of our mission, CTBUH schedules a world congress every 3-5 years to facilitate business exchange among its international network.

The Congress theme of “Asia Ascending: Age of the Sustainable Skyscraper” and the location of the Congress are quite appropriate for the amount of development currently underway in China and other Asian regions. We have an excellent lineup of internationally recognized speakers on a variety of topics. Please join us for this outstanding event.

Bill Maibusch