The Verticality Gap: A Correlation Study of Income Inequality and Urban Skyscraper Development

This paper investigates the relationship between income inequality and urban verticality across a global sample of cities. Using a newly constructed dataset of 27 major cities, the study measures vertical development as the number of completed buildings exceeding 150 meters in height, compiled from publicly available sources.
The analysis finds that income inequality, proxied by national-level Gini coefficients, is positively associated with skyscraper concentration in several model specifications, even after controlling for population size. However, the results are sensitive to measurement choices and sample composition, highlighting the importance of consistent data construction in cross-city comparisons.
By combining urban economics with a novel measure of skyline intensity, this paper contributes to understanding how economic structure may shape the physical form of cities. All data sources and construction methods are documented transparently to facilitate replication and further research.