BDP - while you and I might agree with that assessment, we are clearly in the minority.

I'm not even sure if it's a matter of agreeing or disagreeing with the assessment. Maybe I'm misunderstanding the type of validity people are seeking, but clearly most people care less about this and more about unique neighborhoods and lifestyle options. I haven't seen "best places to live" or "work" rankings where the number of 27 story buildings or parking garage density were a factor. I don't think I'm making this up or just spouting opinion. Granted, I have not done some formal study, but I just don't see how the project addresses any of the priorities of people who want to live or work in a city environment. It mostly does the opposite. So if this thing is validating, I'd like to know on what is the validation based.

I'll try doing a little Googling to see if I can find a more formal study of what people want, and if tall buildings and parking garages are high on any of the lists, I'll try and post it here for correction.

You've apparently never approached Manhattan from a distance.

Yeah, I'm not sure what constitutes a "great distance", but I can think of few more that are visible from miles away, especially if you have a boat. :)

But, of course, one of the reasons those skylines are so impressive is because the city blocks aren't comprised of one tallish building on the end and parking garages on the rest.

One can't even see Manhattan from as far away as one can see downtown OKC.

One can't even see Manhattan from as far away as one can see downtown OKC.

That depends on vantage point and elevation. Do you really know the farthest away you can see each city?

That depends on vantage point and elevation. Do you really know the farthest away you can see each city?

We are starting to focus on the wrong part of the discussion, but here is the point I was trying to make. Downtown OKC can be seen easily and frequently from all parts of the metro and points way beyond. That constant presence becomes part of the suburban landscape, kind of like a painting on the wall; it is to be admired from a distance. Most people don't care about sidewalk interaction because they can't see that from I-240 anyhow. A 500' foot building means much more to these people than any other attribute. For the most part, outside the plains and the old northwest, that kind of ubiquitous suburban view simply doesn't exist. Again - from a distance over 3 miles one would be hard pressed to see downtown Jacksonville - if for no other reason than we have a **** load of trees here that restrict long vistas. To see more than a 1/2 mile one has to be on a bridge or on the open water. It was a phenomena I first recognized in London, where one can see for only about 3 blocks unless they are themselves on a tall structure.