[bobthepanda]

There's no seating because you're not meant to sit. A lot of public space these days is designed to be hostile for that use, so that undesirables like the homeless don't linger, but in the process it becomes hostile to everybody.

A lot of public-facing plazas are meant to be ornamental or monumental and nothing more, which is quite sad.

[totalthrowaway]

There was a time when this concept was revolutionary.

https://www.pps.org/article/wwhyte

He literally filmed what people actually did in public spaces, and came up with great guidelines to make them enjoyable.

Architects study this is school. As you say, whenever it isn't implemented, it is because they specifically chose not to, not because they don't know better.

[bobthepanda]

It's not really the architects' fault if their clients don't want free enjoyment of the space by the public.