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Abstract
Many cities are facing a growing dilemma: how to maintain their positions as attractive locations for footloose multi-national companies seeking large-scale modern office space, whilst attempting to ensure that the impact of such development is not damaging to their historic character and quality. As a result, a particular breed of building is re-emerging—the groundscraper. Based on research that examined the phenomenon in London, this paper asks what is the rationale for groundscrapers, how do they impact on urban form, and how do the competing relationships within the development team help to shape the final outcomes?