Experts: Raising building height limits bad for D.C.

Amid talk from Washington leaders about raising building height limits in the nation’s capital to generate more revenue, experts say modern high-rises overshadowing the city’s iconic, sprawling architecture would actually be bad for business and hurt the ongoing citywide renaissance.

The Heights of Buildings Act, enacted by Congress in 1910, has enabled growth in downtown by not oversupplying the demand for residences and office space with skyscrapers, planners said. Despite developers’ complaints that they’d be more attracted to D.C. if the city raised its height limit and they could make more money off their buildings, that restriction is exactly what has fueled economic growth in the District, experts said.