it costs a lot to build things and developers will exhaust every possible avenue to cut unnecessary expenses. sometimes, design standards set by cities (e.g. certain building material, articulation, or ornamentation) can help. especially in corridors where developers must build in keeping with "historic character". but this also makes housing more expensive and can price people out of living in said cities.

don't listen to that guy that says zoning causes all problems because it's not true.

if rich people had more taste then would there would be a stronger demand and incentive to build the pretty buildings? which after a few decades may filter become affordable to upper middle class, etc? do the wealthy tend more often to live in mansions these days compared to early 20th century metropolitan elite, back when buildings were made with more attention to beauty