Hamilton needs some good height, and a better skyline. I'm sick of looking at a bunch of smokestacks when traveling on the skyway. Mississauga has a nice, modern-looking skyline now, hell so does Burlington. Why can't Hamilton?
Hamilton's Downtown is set far back (across the harbour) from the QEW/Skyway Bridge. You can only see Mississauga's skyline very briefly while driving along the QEW as you pass Hurontario, so I'm not sure what you're referring to? The only way Hamilton's skyline could look 'better' from the Skyway is by shifting our downtown, or all future development, along the Harbour.
There are amazing vantage points in which to view Hamilton's nice skyline (much nicer than Ottawa's IMO); Coming down Hwy-6 for example, coming down Hwy-403 (the Ancaster Hill), sitting atop Sam Lawrence Park, and you can even see a glimpse of our skyline along Hwy-403 through Aldershot.
Smokestacks will be a thing of the past in the very near future as almost 100% of Hamilton's Steelmaking industry has been shipped down south or elsewhere (thanks US Steel for breaking your promise). Either way, those stacks which hardly smoke at all anymore will be gone in just a few years..
Not sure if many ppl know this, but Hamiton's #1 Employer is Hamilton Health Sciences which continues to invest in Hamilton, downtown and elsewhere. Stelco/US Steel and Dofasco/Arcelor-Mittal aren't even a blip on Hamilton's economic radar anymore.
So why doesn't Hamilton have more high-rise towers?
Developers didn't believe in the City until 2013, sadly.
Under construction now is a 26-storey tower @ Main & Caroline (150 Main W:
http://150mainwest.com), as well as the Royal Connaught Condos (24s, 33s, & 36s and the reno'd 12s hotel portion:
http://www.royalconnaught.com). Those should change up the skyline for sure, not to mention open up the gates to other high-rise developers!
Hope that answers your question!