Why is simple decoration so rare in recent work?

Re:Why is simple decoration so rare in recent work? by yongjik on Wednesday May 01, 2024 @01:14AM (#40219738)

While I agree that the generational change is definitely there, I think the author's first example (street lights at San Francisco) is not a good example because it's the result of a different trend:

Americans no longer believe that a public space should be nicely maintained. Especially San Francisco. Its street is where you meet homeless tents, feces on pavement, the smell of weeds, people walking around with their asscracks visible. It's no longer a nice place, and whether we like or not, fewer people believe we should spend money to make it feel more pleasant.

Which is pretty sad, because once it gets bad enough, it basically becomes a self-reinforcing cycle.

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Re:Why is simple decoration so rare in recent work? by samtho on Wednesday May 01, 2024 @01:25AM (#40219801)

This sounds like an explanation that is found in a future history book where cultural context is absent and the researchers are looking for a simple answer. There are plenty of ostensibly nice places that sport the exact same public infrastructure as SF. It’s just become standard and any deviation to more ornamental pieces is almost always seen as a quaint throwback.

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Re:Why is simple decoration so rare in recent work? by superfrank on Wednesday May 01, 2024 @01:24AM (#40219795)

I can't quite put my finger on what it is, but I think there's more at play than just "Americans no longer believe that a public space should be nicely maintained". I'm sure a lot of the people who vote for policies that enable the the things you mention would also be incredibly unhappy if they saw you littering or chopping down a tree in a public park.

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Re:Why is simple decoration so rare in recent work? by hamandcheese on Wednesday May 01, 2024 @01:25AM (#40219800)

There are plenty of nice spaces in San Francisco, but you won't find them in the tenderloin. The literal and figurative shit is not smeared evenly over the city, and I'd go as far as to say that certain parts, such as the Outer Richmond, are thriving.

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