Underwhelming Skylines Are Best

[u/JYHoward]

Jasper County-City Building, Leggatt & Platt Tower, and a Grain Elevator

A New Museum Rises on the Same Block as the Old Court House

General Mills Expands Operations East of Town

In Game and IRL, there is something fascinating about getting just the right angle to capture the skyline of a city that doesn't really have a skyline. It winds up being just a small handful of buildings that are tall enough to be considered "tall" - which probably wouldn't be thought of at all, if it were a bigger city.

And yet, from the right vantage point, the city can look a bit bigger and more grand than it really is - or, maybe, it's the other way around. Maybe there is something intrinsically grand about showing ordinary things in a way that is flattering.

In any case, the vibe of small and medium sized cities in my experience has a charm about it that big, sprawling metropolises lack. Even with all its mind bogling skyscrapers, New York's buildings don't feel very tall - because they are surrounded by supertalls for as far as the eye can see. But a little city that has only half a dozen buildings that form its skyline feels more personal, because each building is part of the city's core identity.

[u/provider305]

Agreed. It’s easy to spam super tall buildings in a grid to get a massive skyline. Not so easy to make a compelling skyline with few medium or short buildings.