By Jane Hughes in New York

New York, home to some of the world's greatest skyscrapers, is considering a proposal that could stunt the height of new buildings in many areas.

Under the biggest revision of the city's planning laws in four decades, buildings would be restricted to approximately the height of other structures in the same area.

A controversial skyscraper being constructed by the billionaire developer, Donald Trump, may have inspired the new rules.

Just a stone's throw from the United Nations on Manhattan's East Side, it will dwarf the UN headquarters.

Mr Trump's latest structure will eventually stand at 150 metres and 70 storeys high and will tower over everything else in the area.

Neighbours are up in arms, saying he is taking advantage of confusing planning regulations to build far higher than he should.

Air rights

Every building in New York has so-called air rights, the right to extend upwards by several storeys.

Donald Trump has taken the air rights of several buildings and piled them all on top of each other so that he can build far higher than is permitted for any single structure.

Although a judge has upheld Mr Trump's right to put up his structure, the city is now trying to make the regulations less complicated.

Under the new law, the height of new buildings would be restricted to roughly the size of those nearby, which poses the question: will New York's signature skyscrapers become obsolete?

Not according to the city's administration.

In mid-town Manhattan, home to the Empire State building, and down around Wall Street, where the World Trade Centre towers over the city, buildings will still be allowed to reach for the sky.

But Donald Trump may have to become even more creative next time he wants to build a structure that so dramatically overshadows its neighbours in a residential area.