Beautiful architecture and infrastructure that works

Getting architecture right is an important part of getting our infrastructure right. People will pay a lot of money to live in places that are "beautiful." We Americans often criticize Europeans for the controls they place over land use. For example, my family once lived in the village of Grainau in the Alps in Germany, where houses were required to have white curtains. This may seem silly, but, where do we choose to vacation? Why can't the places we live be as nice as the places we vacation. The attached article argues that we need architecture that contributes to the city-scape.

http://www.american.com/archive/2009/december-2009/the-high-cost-of-ignoring-beauty

The Sheer Size of State and Local Governments

If America is to operate well, this sector needs to perform. How do we go about reforming state and local governments?

Why do so many things just not work?