7 futuristic skyscrapers that fight global warming

By Cat DiStasio

Imagine a world in which the high-rise buildings that crowd our city blocks could reverse the effects of climate change and perhaps even heal the planet. Each year, architects from around the world come up with wild and crazy ideas for the eVolo skyscraper competition. This year's contest spurred lots of imaginative and inspirational designs, including a bizarre "anti-skyscraper" that would excavate of Central Park. Other proposals in recent years have included high-rise buildings that house urban farms, generate hydrogen fuel using electricity from lightning and cool the planet with space-scraping wind tunnels.

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New York Horizon

New York Horizon isn’t really a skyscraper at all -- at least not in any traditional sense. Instead, the proposal calls for the excavation of one of America’s most beloved urban green spaces: New York’s Central Park. The project would uncover hidden "mountains" beneath the park’s surface, and line the borders with 1,000-foot glass walls. Designers Yitan Sun and Jianshu Wu envision a new sunken park beyond any architect’s wildest fantasy --  an idea notable enough to take first place in the 2016 eVolo Skyscraper Competition.