Yes indeed. Which shows how misleading a quant-eyed view of the world is. Every time I drive along Long Island's heavily developed retail strip Jericho Turnpike, it occurs to me that all these hideous outlets -- which, old or new, are stick-in-the-eye ugly -- appear on tax rolls, insurance lists and economic data as *assets*, glowing testaments to the enterprise, wealth and general swellness of this society.
Of course, with sort-of-a-war on and an overall stinky economy that has gotten quite up-close and personal in recent years, I've been increasingly disinclined to lambaste US aesthetic deficiencies (however much they deserve it) and have been more focused on white-knuckle issues ranging from neo-fascism to neo-medievalism. As soon as the Neocons, Jesus Freaks and plutocrats of every type are driven from power, I'll be ready to wage war on the local zoning front ;-)
Carl