We have many great ideas for many new things but lack the political will to carry them out: http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2014/0... .
On the other hand, tallest building is a terrible metric for progress. Buildings get exponentially more expensive as they get taller, leading to a less affordable city. These 104 units cost more than a billion dollars to develop, locking out all but the wealthiest people.
New York City has tons of underdeveloped but convenient land, like in Long Island City and Downtown Brooklyn. We should (and are) developing in those kinds of areas. A better metric of progress would be the number of people who can live in the city while keeping a sane commute.