No. The race to the bottom doesn't explain the extreme rupture that happened in the 40s. Another thing that may play into it (beyond a psychological breakdown)

No. The race to the bottom doesn't explain the extreme rupture that happened in the 40s. Another thing that may play into it (beyond a psychological breakdown), that's we diverted spending on architecture to spending on maintenance of car infrastructure. The public realm is experience through a car, and as such, sensory details, sense of closure and safety, are irrelevant. Rather, what becomes relevant is asphalt, large easy to maintain buffer zones between car infrastructure and building.