No. The race to the bottom doesn't explain the extreme rupture that happened in the 40s.
Another thing that may play into it (beyond a psychological breakdown), that's we diverted spending on architecture to spending on maintenance of car infrastructure. The public realm is experience through a car, and as such, sensory details, sense of closure and safety, are irrelevant. Rather, what becomes relevant is asphalt, large easy to maintain buffer zones between car infrastructure and building.
Re:The mid in fake midcentury modern
by justinator on Wednesday December 07, 2022 @11:35AM
(#33896451)
Ha and yes: and why build beautiful things at all if all you're going to do is speed past it in a blur at 75mph? The futurists preoccupation with speed. I never thought of it like that.
I just assumed it's all about cost savings. Architecture has been affected by the race to the bottom as much as anything.