Potentially - but the quantity focus that you're talking about is a direct result of the construction and development that we allow. We basically prohibit people taking risks in architecture and design because it's impossible to build a lot of "interesting" stuff due to zoning (which is what you can build) and structure (which is how you can build) regulations.
All of the pretty architecture that you're talking about was built when the legal handcuffs for doing it didn't exist.
Tl;dr - I get what you're saying but can't ignore the structure of what we've set up that encourages/enables it.
Yes, the legal structure is dumb. We as a nation traded quality for standardization and accessibility. Poor choice, in my opinion. I'd rather have fewer, riskier, smaller, beautiful buildings than the mass-produced, nondurable, ugly, no-risk construction we have today; and same with education.
All of the pretty architecture that you're talking about was built when the legal handcuffs for doing it didn't exist.
Tl;dr - I get what you're saying but can't ignore the structure of what we've set up that encourages/enables it.