Skyscrapers Ban

On 27 April 2020, China's Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development issued a Notice that introduced measures to - in its own words - "further strengthen the management of urban and architectural features". The document, which we've translated from its original Chinese, restricts the "blind planning and construction of super high-rise skyscrapers" and states that "new buildings over 500 metres in height are not allowed to be built." The Notice also heavily restricts the construction of any buildings over 250 metres in height - except where absolutely necessary - and, where permission is granted, those towers will be subject to intense reviews by the firefighting, earthquake and energy-saving authorities. In addition, local governments are now required to tighten the approval process for towers taller than 100 metres, protect natural areas and historic buildings, and appoint chief architects to ensure that any new architecture better represents Chinese culture. The policy also bans plagiarized or "copycat" architecture - a controversial and head-turning trend which has seen a number of world's most famous buildings replicated across China in recent years.