Mass-market production and the commodification of housing has led to a ‘flattening’ of design into a limited set of bland, homogeneous options.

In a piece for the Dallas Morning News, architecture critic Mark Lamster describes what he calls “The Flattening” of American culture, wherein products such as cars and houses that once featured unique designs are increasingly similar to each other.
Lamster writes, “To drive around Dallas (or any American city) is to be confronted by an endless series of cheaply constructed apartment blocks, three to five stories in height, with clunky beige bays that stretch for blocks on end.” To Lamster, this sameness is “an insult to the art” of architecture.
This homogeneity, according to Lamster, boils down to “a conservatism inherent in American culture,” an ethos that is “inherently risk averse.” Meanwhile, a disconnection from the house as a “multigenerational homestead” and its transformation to a commodity encourages builders to try to appeal to as wide an audience as possible with inoffensive, bland designs and cheap, readily available materials.
Not leaving out the workplace, Lamster also critiques the modern office tower, which “has likewise become a cliche repeated ad nauseum.” Modern design, Lamster argues, “is almost entirely driven by economics.”
The drive to maximize short-term profit pervades all aspects of society, Lamster argues, recommending “a shift in economic policy” that would “incentivize long-term profit over quarterly growth,” although Lamster admits he doesn’t have a suggestion for what this shift would entail. However, the ravages of climate change, which threaten our complacent bubble, could force the kind of broad change required to snap us out of the comfortable, but bland, status quo.
FULL STORY: Why does everything look the same in North Texas? Blame the ‘flattening’

The Right to Mobility
As we consider how to decarbonize transportation, preserving mobility, especially for lower- and middle-income people, must be a priority.

Early Sharrow Booster: ‘I Was Wrong’
The lane marking was meant to raise awareness and instill shared respect among drivers and cyclists. But their inefficiency has led supporters to denounce sharrows, pushing instead for more robust bike infrastructure that truly protects riders.

Push and Pull: The Link Between Walkability and Affordability
The increased demand for walkable urban spaces could make them more and more exclusionary if cities don’t pursue policies to limit displacement and boost affordability.

Tacoma Developing New Housing Policy
The city’s Home in Tacoma plan is designed to address the region’s growth and rising housing prices, but faces local backlash over density and affordability concerns.

Green Alleys: A New Paradigm for Stormwater Management
Rather than shuttling stormwater away from the city and into the ocean as quickly as possible, Los Angeles is now—slowly—moving toward a ‘city-as-sponge’ approach that would capture and reclaim more water to recharge crucial reservoirs.

Orange County Project Could Go Forward Under ‘Builder’s Remedy’
The nation’s largest home builder could receive approval for a 530-unit development under an obscure state law as the city of La Habra’s zoning laws hang in limbo after the state rejected its proposed housing plan.
Town of Palm Beach
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
York County Government
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Fitchburg, WI
City of Culver City
Sonoma County Transportation Authority
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.