There's a quote about this rule (get started and the job will be easier to complete):
"What you can do, or dream you can, begin it,
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.
Only engage, and then the mind grows heated,
Begin it, and the work will be completed!"
- Goethe
All new skyscrapers will come only in high-growth places, not high-wealth places. IMHO that's because high-wealth places will settle down to generalized universal veto and stagnation. High-growth places haven't yet had a chance for established players to stall everything.
The reason why we won't have NYC or SF looking like Star Trek¹ is that the people are already wealthy and they chose to live here in the way it is so the people who would want Star Trek SF won't come to present-day SF to make it into Star Trek SF. Star Trek SF may be some unassuming town in America or (more likely) one of the emerging economies: maybe East Asia, but maybe if African nations capture their demographic dividend (unlikely IMHO) maybe them.
¹ I will have someone LongBets this on my behalf if someone wants to take the other side. San Francisco will never be like Star Trek's hyper-developed San Francisco. Willing to nail down specifics too.
EDIT: Maybe I should make an exception for high-wealth places with dictators/monarchs. There they can bypass any normal human process.
EDIT 2: No bets. Bets are off. Looks like I'd just lose money on this one because of NYC.
