I think it is important not to overreact to a current threat in a way that will affect all future design. In the late 1960s there were riots on college campuses. In reaction to that, a number of universities were designed deliberately to be ugly and have no social space in which people could congregate. There are no major civil disturbances at most universities today but we are permanently stuck with the consequences of bad design.
I support safety reforms which which genuinely make sense such as making buildings easier to evacuate, or improving the ability to fight fires at high elevations, but I think it would be a mistake to become permanently afraid to build tall inhabited structures.
NYC has very expensive housing costs. Rather than asking companies to rent offices on the top floors of 100 story towers, make the top half of the building residential. I believe this is what was done with the John Hancock building in Chicago.
I agree. I'm tired of see ideas for the WTC site that include designs altered to reflect fear of terrorists attacks.....buildings that look like they're low cowering and trying to be inconspicuous.
We might as well all live in undergound bunkers. Pathetic.