WTC REPLACEMENT PLANS: TAKE BACK THE SKYLINE!

After months of anticipation, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation released its six proposed schemes for rebuilding the World Trade Center site. At first glance, the plans stretch from somewhat unimaginative to extremely unimaginative. The problem is that while the LMDC plans adequately address the memorial and commercial needs of the site, they do nothing to repair the hole in the national and metropolitan psyche that was ripped by the collapse of the twin towers. The current proposals all "fill" the location, but none of them proposes anything that soars, that dominates Lower Manhattan like the Twin Towers did. As a New Yorker, as an American - I want my skyline back. Not an exact copy of the WTC, but something that at least reflects the confidence and the boundless aspiration of the Twins. The WTC site project needs to be reflective in memory of the tragedy that occurred there, and it needs to be practical, to keep the economy of lower Manhattan vibrant. But it also needs to be defiant - to demonstrate to the enemies of this country that our national will remains firm and we will face the challenge of their culture of death with a quintessentially American celebration of life.

On Second Thought
After looking at the plans at the more detailed sight of the LMDC, I'm willing to get behind the Memorial Promenade as a good start.