[ironmagma]

> we look to the past for cues to good design

But by your very logic, we also look to the past for cues to bad design. There are plenty of ugly old towns and cities in the US. Regardless, the most beautiful cities in the US: New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Charleston, New Orleans, Boston, Seattle are also some of the oldest.

> there surely are good aesthetic choices being made today

With how restrictive the building and city planning codes are, the amount of creativity is extremely limited.