[tichiian]

While zoning in Germany almost universally sets the limit at the height of the local church (yes, really...), the actual reasons are building codes. Even cities that permit arbitrary height (famously Frankfurt am Main) still don't have that many high buildings: Because somewhere around the 5 to 7 story line, you run into really expensive requirements around additional rescue staircases with overpressure ventilation, roof access, rescue balconies and stuff like that.

[nottorp]

> Even cities that permit arbitrary height (famously Frankfurt am Main)

They do? I believe I've heard from a friend who lives there that the fire department recently shortened a few planned buildings because they could not guarantee reaching higher than $X meters. (Said $X is over 100, but less than they initially wanted to build.)

I don't have any hard sources tho.

[tichiian]

Not sure where the actual limit is or if they changed it, I also don't have any hard sources, just heresay that there is "no limit". But there are 20 buildings over 150m, and 6 over 200m, so it probably is or was quite a bit above 100m.

And if it is due to the usual fire brigade ladder height problem, that would be at most 68m currently: https://www.magirusgroup.com/de/en/products/turntable-ladder... (around here in a smaller town, a company got a 50m building permit when they paid for the new fire truck with a sufficiently long ladder).