E3S Web of Conferences 33, 01041 (2018) https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/20183301041 HRC 2017 Vertical cities - the new form of high-rise construction evolution Vera A. Akristiniy1,* and Yulia I. Boriskina1 1Moscow State University of Civil Engineering, Yaroslavskoe shosse, 26, Moscow, 129337, Russia Abstract. The article considers the basic principles of the vertical cities formation for the creation of a comfortable urban environment in conditions of rapid population growth and limited territories. As urban growth increases, there is a need for new concepts and approaches to urban space planning through the massive introduction of high-rise construction. The authors analyzed and systematized the list of high-tech solutions for arrangement the space of vertical cities, which are an integral part of the creation of the methodology for forming a high-rise buildings. Their concept differs in scale, presence of the big areas of public spaces, tendencies to self- sufficiency and sustainability, opportunity to offer the new unique comfortable environment to the population living in them. 1 Introduction The cities are the place of residence for a half of the population of Earth, their architecture, structure, and ecology exert considerable impact on inhabitants. This article deals with the evolution of cities, the main principles of their development and the formation of a comfortable urban environment for procuring vital activities. Multifunctional use of urban territories risks losing its social and compositional significance and directly dependent on the economic factor. When creating new spaces and cities, architects consider past experience and offer solutions in accordance with modern requirements [1,3]. There are various opinions that cities emerged as warehouses and places of goods loading, defensive and offensive fortresses, administrative centers for the management of irrigation systems, temples. However, the ideas of planning and ordering life in the city appeared after the emergence of cities as a result of urban civilization, or the conditions for its foundation. The form of the city is a spatial organization of the population vital activity processes and its interaction with surrounding space. Formation of space regularities are of interest: the functional zones, communications realized by structure, the basic rules of those communications. These are ideal schemes for placing functional elements. There are many theories about the form of the city. At each stage of the humanity development, for a certain nation and terrain, it must have its own characteristics. But no matter by which path or the theory the city developed, for many centuries all over the world *Corresponding author: [email protected] © The Authors, published by EDP Sciences. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). E3S Web of Conferences 33, 01041 (2018) https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/20183301041 HRC 2017 they share one thing: they are all characterized by low-rise buildings, with rare exceptions of religious buildings, many of which were built for decades and had non-residential functions [2,6]. This continued until the 19th century when the technology development and a number of economic factors created unique prerequisites for the development of high-rise construction. At that stage of development, the following factors can be identified [1,4]: 1. High cost of land. Cities managed to become centers of trade, administrative, political and cultural life, which led to high demand and the growth of land value. In such circumstances, each landowner sought to maximize the efficient use of their property. The only possible way to increase the usable area was to grow upwards. 2. New materials. New materials such as glass and steel acquired the increasingly wide application. The strength of the steel made it possible to shift a significant part of the load onto it, and the glass served as a good protection against the external environment instead of the walls while being several times lighter than the traditional facade. 3. Otis elevators [11]. It is difficult to overestimate the invention by Otis of the elevators safety mechanism that catches the cabin in the event of cable tear. It was thanks to him that elevators began to transport people, not just cargo, which solved the problem of inaccessibility of high-rise floors. From the once cheap, they quickly turned into the most prestigious, allowing their new owners to admire the magnificent panoramic views. 4. New constructive solutions. Until the 19th century, the increase in the height of buildings meant a thickening of the walls, which were supposed to withstand the weight of the structure. The creation of elevators and metal frames for the walls provided an opportunity for architects and engineers to design and build higher and higher buildings, increasing the number of floors. Bearing capacity was transferred to the frame of the building, the load - on the foundation. One of the countries that concentrated all these factors was the United States, a young country open to various technologies. Not surprisingly, the world's first skyscraper, built with unique new solutions, appeared in 1885 in the American industrial city of Chicago, where the high cost of land stimulated high-rise construction. Gradually, this development led to the emergence of a large number of skyscrapers around the world. For many private corporations and developers, the construction of such erections has become a matter of prestige, between the buildings a struggle has begun for the right to be named the highest in the world. Fig.1shows the ranking of the tallest buildings as of 2018 [12]. Sourсe: Burj Khalifa Fig.1. World's tallest Towers (from left to right: Burj Khalifa, CN Tower, Taipei 101, Petronas Towers, Willis Tower, Jin Mao Tower, International Finance Centre, Citic Plaza, Shun Hing Square, Empire State Building, Central Plaza, Burj Al Arab) Nevertheless, despite the progress in the field of high-rise construction of individual buildings, the horizontal growth of cities increases the number of problems [5,7]: 2 E3S Web of Conferences 33, 01041 (2018) https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/20183301041 HRC 2017 they share one thing: they are all characterized by low-rise buildings, with rare exceptions of • Urban development occupies more and more new areas, with local flora and fauna religious buildings, many of which were built for decades and had non-residential functions gradually disappearing. It means there is a complete destruction of the ecosystems, [2,6]. which have been formed for several million years. This continued until the 19th century when the technology development and a number of • The city space is not used rationally, thus creating transport and social problems. economic factors created unique prerequisites for the development of high-rise construction. Almost in any city during rush hour, it is possible to observe congestion of all At that stage of development, the following factors can be identified [1,4]: transport systems. 1. High cost of land. Cities managed to become centers of trade, administrative, political • The presence of industrial zones in the central part of the city. This situation stems and cultural life, which led to high demand and the growth of land value. In such from the fact that the factories built on the outskirts of town in the last century, today circumstances, each landowner sought to maximize the efficient use of their property. The are in the central part because of the high rates of urban area proliferation. In only possible way to increase the usable area was to grow upwards. addition to environmental pollution, the negative factor is the irrational use of 2. New materials. New materials such as glass and steel acquired the increasingly wide industrial areas, taking into account trends in urban development. application. The strength of the steel made it possible to shift a significant part of the load As cities grow, there is a need for new concepts and approaches to urban space planning. onto it, and the glass served as a good protection against the external environment instead of High-rise construction has served as a powerful incentive for the further development of the walls while being several times lighter than the traditional facade. construction and related technologies necessary for the development of mega-high-rise 3. Otis elevators [11]. It is difficult to overestimate the invention by Otis of the elevators clusters, in which people can stay for a long time with no need to leave it [4,7]. In the 21st safety mechanism that catches the cabin in the event of cable tear. It was thanks to him that century, there are enough prerequisites for implementing a new concept of development in elevators began to transport people, not just cargo, which solved the problem of the form of vertical cities (Fig. 2). inaccessibility of high-rise floors. From the once cheap, they quickly turned into the most prestigious, allowing their new owners to admire the magnificent panoramic views. 4. New constructive solutions. Until the 19th century, the increase in the height of buildings meant a thickening of the walls, which were supposed to withstand the weight of the structure. The creation of elevators and metal frames for the walls provided an opportunity for architects and engineers to design and build higher and higher buildings, increasing the number of floors. Bearing capacity was transferred to the frame of the building, the load - on the foundation. One of the countries that concentrated all these factors was the United States, a young country open to various technologies. Not surprisingly, the world's first skyscraper, built with unique new solutions, appeared in 1885 in the American industrial city of Chicago, where the high cost of land stimulated high-rise construction. Gradually, this development led to the emergence of a large number of skyscrapers around the world.