A 2024 life-cycle assessment study compared the Burj Khalifa to a low-rise neighborhood (Al Hudaiba) in Dubai and found the tower produces 11–37% lower annual per capita carbon emissions, depending on the electricity grid mix. The advantage comes from reduced embodied carbon per resident and dramatically lower transportation emissions due to density and mixed-use programming. Monte Carlo simulations showed 5–66% emissions reduction across all scenarios. This challenges the assumption that supertalls are inherently unsustainable. When designed for longevity and integrated with transit, vertical density can outperform horizontal sprawl.