TED Talk #115: Will there ever be a mile-high skyscraper?

Watching TED Talks is a popular pastime at CN&CO. We visit TED.com regularly to clear our heads, have a laugh or get inspired. TED Talks open our minds, spark new ways of thinking and can lead to some very interesting conversations. Each week we pick a favourite and publish it on a Tuesday, because we like how “TED Talk Tuesday” sounds. This week’s talk was posted by Joshua Nuttall. Here’s why he chose it:

What will future cities look like? Has the highest building be built or will we see boundaries continuing to be broken and limits pushed? How will we transport ourselves, will self-driving cars be the norm in 20 years? Are we living sustainable lives, ensuring that we are doing our bit to combat climate change?

It’s not something that I think about every day, but it is something that interests me. Understanding where we have come from and the broader world around us, can help us better understand opportunities as they present themselves.

In 1956, architect Frank Lloyd Wright proposed a mile-high skyscraper (that’s 1.6 kilometres), a building five times as high as the Eiffel Tower. While this massive building was never built, today bigger and bigger buildings are going up around the world.

One of the things that I took away from this TED talk is that we shouldn’t let our surroundings be the sole influence on the way that we think or what we deem possible. Push the limits, challenge the boundaries, and aim high.