Several planning decisions have played an important role in the development of Ottawa and its architecture. One long standing rule that had a great effect on the downtown core, was a prohibition on buildings being taller than the tall Peace Tower. It was instituted to prevent the Parliament Buildings from being dwarfed by more modern structures. Therefore Ottawa's central business district does not have the towering buildings found in most other North American cities, instead having a considerable number of mid-sized towers. This rule however is relaxed outside the downtown area, resulting in tall structures across the city, such as the Claridge Icon in Little Italy.