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Skybridges: “Solving” the Modern Downtown

SKYBRIDGES: "SOLVING" THE MODERN DOWNTOWN
 April 24, 2024 |  Property Investment, Property Maintenance, Commercial Real Estate News |  real estate trends, exterior maintenance, interior maintenance, commercial HVAC, commercial real estate tenants, office space, retail space, restaurant, hotel, apartment

Over the past hundred years or so, human life has changed radically. From the farms to the city, from simple dugout homes in the prairies to towering high-rise skyscrapers in bustling downtowns, there are many aspects of the modern world that would leave the architects and engineers of yesteryear amazed. Still, that hasn’t stopped many from imagining what our future cities might look like, not to mention guessing at how we might solve the problems we face today.

According to the President and Designated Expert of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), one feature that may grow in prominence within cities around the world is the skybridge. In the CTBUH Journal, Wood writes: “For more than a century, architects and urban visionaries have foretold of three-dimensional cities, with tall buildings linked by skybridges forming a new kind of urban fabric. Rapid urbanization and new technological advances have converged to reignite the potential of such constructions at the urban scale.”

Antony Wood’s 2020 comments carried an excited vision for skybridges moving into the future, but have these predictions become a reality, or are we still waiting to see their full potential?

What is a Skybridge?
For the uninitiated, skybridges are best recognized as suspended, enclosed structures which connect two buildings together. Also known as skywalks, pedestrian bridges, and skyways, skybridges are surprisingly divisive among pedestrians of cities that have incorporated them at a larger scale. While they bring various benefits such as improved circulation and convenience for workers or residents within their corrected buildings, skybridges may have an unexpected impact on the urban ecosystem.

A Solution to Climate Issues
On the one hand, skybridges have obvious benefits for cities that experience extreme weather conditions since they provide enclosed walkways with appropriate heating or AC. This means that whether beating the heat in Dubai or avoiding sleet in Calgary, skybridges offer a unique solution that could sustain access to businesses and amenities.

In Calgary, the Plus 15 network of suspended walkways takes this concept to the next level with 86 suspended bridges that span over 16 kilometers throughout downtown. A concept which began back in the 1960s, city planners were tasked at that time with expanding access to a city center that would otherwise see far less attention during colder seasons.

There is also the theory that skybridges promote foot travel for downtown workers and residents who might otherwise flock to their cars and send polluting emissions into their city skies. For regional climate health, skybridges seem to be a viable option.

An Attraction for Tourists and Luxury Apartment Residents
With that said, there are many locations that utilize skybridges not as a necessity, not as a solution to a logistical problem, but as a lure for tourists and tenants! Take the Marina Bay Sands hotel in Singapore, for example, which utilizes a rooftop courtyard and infinity pool at nearly 60 floors high–it’s become one of the most iconic and recognizable locations within the city.

Meanwhile, New York City’s gravity-defying Copper building, developed by a collaboration between JDS Development and SHoP Architects, uses a skybridge between two luxury apartment buildings to house a shared residential lounge, a 75-foot lap pool, and a full Copper Tone gym. While these buildings emphasize their unique use of skybridges as an additional common area for their residents and a focal point of the entire project, the high expense and long construction timelines are contributing to reasons why we don’t see them everywhere. But are expenses the only thing stopping city life from hitting a new level?

A Nuisance for Street-Level Businesses and Pedestrians
Many city residents are struck by concerns for the street-level delis, retailers, and coffee shops that rely on foot traffic, which they inevitably lose with new routes sending shoppers elsewhere. For former Minneapolis resident Rachel Quednau, skybridge problems may outweigh their benefits. Rachel reacts to Cincinnati’s removal of a large portion of its skyways on nonprofit urban development website Strong Towns by saying, “...the bottom line is that concentrating economic activity in one area–the street–versus segregating it into one area for white collar office workers and one for the occasional tourist or wanderer, is likely to have a positive impact on the overall viability of a mid-size downtown.”

Skybridge developments block otherwise attractive views for pedestrians and may be too confusing for visitors to navigate, leaving even businesses that relocate into upper level buildings less accessible to their customers. The image of expanded community zones might make sense in the face of increased urbanization and congestion in downtowns, but the existing criticisms may suggest that we’re a bit too early to see skybridges that support both a vibrant street-level downtown, as well as one a few stories higher.

Keep up with the latest urban planning and architectural design trends for commercial properties right here at the Commercial Inspector. Whether commercial or residential, you can work with a local NPI expert today to schedule a comprehensive property inspection.