[xionplean]

In the US, the problem is we have built large offices around the idea of a central elevator shaft then the plumbing and bathrooms are running up and around the shaft. It makes perfect sense for a large multi story office.

You would have to design these weird apartments though that are like a thinly sliced pizza with no central area. Just a long hall of connecting rooms.

Or to retro fit all you have is the foundation and sides, everything else is basically wrong and cost wise you have less than nothing. It is just cheaper to start over and not have to undo all the wrong aspects.

We are mostly in denial in the US that there is going to be a ton of empty, useless buildings along with many regional banks going out of business.

[Turing_Machine]

> You would have to design these weird apartments though that are like a thinly sliced pizza with no central area.

Those used to be called "shotgun houses" (or, less euphemistically, "shotgun shacks") though they were rectangular, not pizza-shaped.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shotgun_house

Of course, people did live in them because they were cheap.

In overpriced urban areas, the "pizza slice" configuration might be tolerable to some, if it were cheap enough.