Singapore looks like a giant shopping mall. It's nice in its own right, sure but I don't think I want every city in the world to look like it

don't worry. they won't. take LA for instance. most parts of it look like a giant traffic jam. looking like a nice shopping mall would be a welcome upgrade. LA will never look as nice as Singapore. Singapore has a huge amount of surplus investment cash. LA's budget is constantly at a breaking point.