Really depressing to read. I can't help but arrive at the cynical conclusion that cities will just continue to be converted into soulless "junkyards of half-bak

Really depressing to read. I can't help but arrive at the cynical conclusion that cities will just continue to be converted into soulless "junkyards of half-baked ideas and botched plans" as the article describes. Why can't cities issue public contests for plans and let anyone submit designs? Slightly related: probably the most famous example of this in the US is the Vietnamese student that designed the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial. Many people hated it at first (especially veterans), but now it's one of the most unique and lauded war memorials in the world. We need more of that in urban planning, not development firms half a world away designing them.