America, the Bland

In 2022, around 420,000 new multifamily units were built in the U.S., and almost all are boxy, wood-frame, mid-rise 5-over-1 structures so homogenous that critics complain it’s “anytown architecture.” But budget constraints and density requirements make it nearly impossible to waver from this formula, which is putting a decent dent in the housing shortage (3.8 million units, as of 2020). And for people without a lot of (or any) options, aesthetics are the last thing on their mind.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/20/realestate/housing-developments-city-architecture.html