History: Safety and the Bottom Line

BUDGET LINE:
Changes in New York City building code meant to make life in high-rises here safer have followed disasters like a devastating 1911 fire that claimed about 150 lives and the Sept. 11 attacks. But economic concerns have had a similarly substantial impact on high-rise construction and maintenance. Often, the two concerns – economic and safety – clash. With the memories of Sept. 11 still fresh, the history of how building construction has evolved in the world’s tallest city can help explain how safe skyscrapers here are now, if many are still vulnerable, and why.