China will restrict small cities from building skyscrapers.

The restrictions were announced by the Ministry of Urban-Rural Development and Housing of China on October 26. According to Reuters, cities with a population of less than 3 million will not be allowed to build buildings taller than 150 meters without special permission, while all cities with a population of over 3 million will not be allowed to build buildings taller than 250 meters. At the same time, the country will not build a building exceeding 500 meters in height under any circumstances. Accordingly, those who issue permits for projects that violate the new regulations will be "responsible for life".

This announcement has just been released and has received the agreement of many users of China's social network Weibo, many opinions say that building skyscrapers is unnecessary and just for show.

Beijing acknowledges that high-rise buildings help make better use of land resources, however, in recent years, such buildings have appeared more and more, raising questions about whether local officials are racing to build skyscrapers to create image, without paying attention to the practicality and safety of the construction.

In early 2021, a 71-story, 356-meter-tall building in Shenzhen began shaking repeatedly, raising concerns about the safety of similar structures. Investigations revealed that the cause was a 50-meter-tall column on the roof of the building being blown away by the wind. The building reopened in September after the column was removed. However, China has since banned the construction of buildings over 500 meters high.

In addition, local authorities will also inspect all existing high-rise buildings, including foundations, structures, electricity, water and gas supplies, building materials, earthquake resistance, and fire prevention. In addition, cities also need to strictly control the construction of skyscrapers in ecologically fragile areas and urban ventilation corridors.

Khanh Ha