NYC Financial District - stock photo

The Equitable Building, completed in 1915 in New York City, was a massive 40-story skyscraper that cast a seven-acre shadow over neighboring streets. Its sheer size and bulk blocked sunlight, causing outrage among residents and businesses. The building's impact led to the adoption of the 1916 Zoning Resolution, the first citywide zoning laws in the United States. These regulations introduced height restrictions and required buildings to have setbacks, ensuring that new structures would allow light and air to reach the streets below. The Equitable Building's legacy thus reshaped urban planning, influencing skyscraper design for decades.