Tall buildings and compact cities are better for the environment and will become increasingly important as the planet’s urban population swells. But elevators have evolved so slowly that they have become a major impediment to building taller and more compact structures.  Maglev elevators  footprint will be as little as half the size of a traditional elevator shafts.They will also enable aritects to design “futuristic buildings that previously could only be dreamed of,” as the company’s R&D head Patrick Basstold the Financial Times (paywall).

Posted in: Infographic of the day