I don't think it's more dignified to live in an isolated dwelling (some the most expensive residences in the world are in apartment buildings), but it does real

I don't think it's more dignified to live in an isolated dwelling (some the most expensive residences in the world are in apartment buildings), but it does really help with the Tragedy of the Commons. In my apartment building in San Francisco, people do all sorts of anti-social things like having their dog crap in an elevator and not cleaning it up, and as a result we have to pay considerable monthly fees for the building staff to manage these issues. Having a detached property makes it a lot harder to shirk your responsibilities -- if your dog craps it will be on your own property instead of in common space.