The Zoning Law of 1916 that New York City adopted in that same year, was a measure adopted mainly to prevent large buildings such as the Equitable Building "Equitable Building (Manhattan)") from hiding light and air, preventing these elements from reaching the streets. Limits were established regarding the overcrowding of buildings of a certain height, generally establishing a series of setbacks and, although height limits were not established, they were restricted to being limited to a percentage of their size.

Architectural draftsman Hugh Ferriss popularized this new regulation in 1922 through a series of volumetry studies, describing possible shapes and how to maximize construction volumes. The Art Deco skyscrapers of the 1920s and 1930s are a direct result of this resolution.

By mid-century, most new International Style buildings had met setback requirements by adopting the use of plazas or low-rise buildings that generally surrounded a monolithic tower centered on the complex. This approach was criticized for its hostility[1] and, among other things, led to reform of the law in 1961").