It’s amazing, and slightly unbelievable, that the cities we’ve become so used to living in didn’t actually look this way decades ago. There’s nothing quite like holding up an old photograph in the same place it was captured years earlier, hoping to spot something similar, but seeing an entirely new world. Interestingly enough, some cities simply built around their historic buildings, while others completely revamped, introducing shiny new skyscrapers and high-rise blocks. Either way, these transformations have been truly extraordinary. To celebrate them, we’ve compiled this list of 25 before-and-after photos of some of the world’s most famous cities, proving just how much they’ve changed over time.
#1 Chicago 1937 vs. 2015
© Photo: Chicago Tribune historical photo
#2 Ho Chi Minh 1930s vs. 2016
© Photo: gallica.bnf.fr
#3 Athens 1862 vs. 2015
© Photo: The Royal Collection Trust
#4 Kuala Lumpur 1884 vs. 2019
© Photo: G.R. Lambert & Co
#5 Rio De Janeiro 1889 vs. 2011
© Photo: Marc Ferrez
#6 Singapore 1969 vs. 2015
© Photo: Urban Redevelopment Authority website
#7 Tokyo 1945 vs. 2014
© Photo: japanairraids.org
#8 Berlin 1983 vs. 2021
© Photo: Thomas Farr
#9 New York 1920 vs. 2021
© Photo: Mark DeJoy
#10 Seoul 1905 vs. 2016
© Photo: Han Young-Woo
#11 Melbourne 1870 vs. 2010
© Photo: C. Nettleton Photo / Melbourne
#12 Shanghai 1934 vs. 2015
© Photo: eBay.com
Measuring at over 2700 feet, you can probably guess that the Burj Khalifa in Dubai tops the list of the world’s tallest buildings. At this point, you might be thinking how a structure so massive is still standing. Well, to keep the skyscraper stable and upright, engineers relied on a type of structural system known as a buttressed core.
#13 Los Angeles 1910 vs. 2019
© Photo: Wikimedia Commons
#14 Kyiv 1920 vs. 2021
© Photo: Dziesięciolecie Polski Odrodzonej
#15 San Francisco 1906 vs. 2021
© Photo: Geo. R. Lawrence Co.
#16 Las Vegas 1920 vs. 2010
© Photo: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
#17 Cairo 1904 vs 2015
© Photo: Eduard Spelterini
#18 Sydney 1935 vs. 2020
© Photo: Sam Hood
#19 London 1920 vs. 2014
© Photo: gelio
#20 Istanbul 1912 vs. 2013
© Photo: Underwood & Underwood
#21 Dubai 1966 vs. 2021
© Photo: nrlgroup.ae
#22 Buenos Aires 1986 vs. 2018
© Photo: Nathan Hughes Hamilton
#23 Abu Dhabi 1980 vs. 2019
© Photo: Chris Down
#24 Jakarta 1880 vs. 2022
© Photo: Potret Lawas
#25 Shenzhen 1964 vs. 2015
© Photo: Eric Hilaire and Nick Van Mead
