Spatio-temporal features of high-rise development in cities around the world

This article examines the spatio-temporal features and patterns of high-rise development in cities around the world, and traces the history of spatial development of high-rise construction in the world. The study took into account buildings over 150 meters high for various functional purposes, except for TV towers, radio masts, power transmission line supports, and religious buildings. The purpose of the study was to identify the main stages in the development of high-rise construction in the world and the main centers of high-rise construction in different periods. The subject of the study is high-rise construction in cities around the world: the history of its formation, dynamics, distribution across regions, countries, and cities; identification of leading countries and cities in different periods of high-rise construction. Attention is paid to the analysis of the functional purpose of high-rise buildings. The study is based on literary, statistical, and reference sources, both domestic and foreign. The following methods were used: statistical, comparative geographical, historical and logical, historical and systemic analysis, which made it possible to identify spatio-temporal patterns of high-rise construction in the world. The main conclusions of the study are: in the history of global high-rise construction, there are 4 periods (booms), and with the transition from one period to another, the number of high-rise buildings constructed increases exponentially. There is a change in the regions and cities that are leaders in high-rise construction. If at the beginning of the process the United States was the absolute leader in high-rise construction, then, starting in 2005, Asia took the leading position, with China being the leader in most indicators. The top 10 cities-leaders by the number of skyscrapers in 2025 include: Hong Kong, Shenzhen, New York, Dubai, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Chongqing. Despite the difficulties of constructing high-rise buildings, their ambiguous impact on the urban environment, as well as diametrically opposed opinions in the perception of the population, high-rise development has become a noticeable phenomenon that changes the urbanized space, forms new images of cities, promotes the development of architectural and engineering thought and is a symbol of aspiration for the future. The novelty of the study lies in the spatio-temporal understanding of the history of the development of high-rise construction from the first steps to the present day, identifying the characteristic stages of this process, leading countries and cities, and the features of the functional purpose of skyscrapers.