In Australia anyway, there is a strongly ingrained cultural norm around the backyard. There is also the NIMBYism in the inner city suburbs which should be dens

In Australia anyway, there is a strongly ingrained cultural norm around the backyard. There is also the NIMBYism in the inner city suburbs which should be densified. These suburbs are filled with wealthy people who will not just acquiesce to high density developments and decades of transport infrastructure revision. Finally there are heritage listings. These are buildings which are designated as having cultural significance. You can't knock them down, they have to be maintained, often at great expense. Councils are militant about protecting heritage listings. On more than one occasion a stalemate develops and the owner of the property lets it sit for years and years until the heritage building essential falls down by itself. Yet when a new building is built, the council is happy for any sort of ugly box. Go figure.