Scott Alexander refutes claims of American decline based on skyscraper construction, presenting data showing continued growth and recent boom in supertall buildings.
Longer summary
This post debunks the claim that a decline in American skyscraper construction indicates a decline in American civilization. Scott presents data showing that America's capacity to build skyscrapers has not decreased, and in fact, there has been a recent boom in supertall skyscraper construction. He provides graphs showing the height of the tallest skyscrapers over time, the number of supertall skyscrapers, and the cost per foot of skyscraper construction. The post also points out that the period from 1940 to 1970, often considered a time of great technological progress, actually saw a decline in skyscraper construction, suggesting that skyscrapers are not a good indicator of technological or societal progress.
Shorter summary