There is no definitive answer to this question, as different sources may have different criteria for defining what constitutes a skyscraper. However, based on one possible definition of a skyscraper as a building with a height above 150 metres1, some of the largest cities in the world that do not have any such buildings are:
The first major cities without any significant amount of skyscrapers are:
- Washington, D.C., USA
- Bern, Switzerland
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Oslo, Norway
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Wellington, New Zealand
These cities all have strict height restrictions on new construction in order to preserve their historic architecture and maintain their unique skylines.
Washington, D.C.
The Height of Buildings Act of 1910 limits the height of buildings in Washington, D.C. to 130 feet (39.6 meters), or 6.5 times the width of the adjacent street. This was done to protect the views of the Capitol Building from other tall buildings.
Bern
The Old Town of Bern is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its historic architecture is protected by strict building codes. These codes limit the height of new buildings to 98 feet (30 meters).
Copenhagen
The Copenhagen City Council has a policy of limiting the height of new buildings to ensure that the city retains its human scale. This policy is known as the "finger plan" and it has been in place since the 1940s.
Oslo
The Oslo City Council has a similar policy to the Copenhagen City Council, which limits the height of new buildings to ensure that the city retains its human scale. This policy is known as the "urban landscape plan" and it has been in place since the 1970s.
Stockholm
The Stockholm City Council has a policy of limiting the height of new buildings to protect the city's skyline and its views. This policy is known as the "skyline vision" and it has been in place since the 1990s.
Wellington
The Wellington City Council has a policy of limiting the height of new buildings to protect the city's skyline and its views. This policy is known as the "wellington skyline plan" and it has been in place since the 2000s.
These are just a few examples of major cities without any significant amount of skyscrapers. There are many other cities around the world that have similar policies in place to protect their historic architecture and maintain their unique skylines.
