What no-one seems to care about or notice is that all of this pointless building has a dire effect on the local ecology as well as the economy. Negative effects include increased run-off of water - with a consequent increase in flood risk - and decreased biodiversity. In rural areas, of course, covering potential farmland in concrete means that that farmland can never be used for producing food if it is ever needed in the future.
I agree, which is why i have never sold off land for building.
i have[when i have needed to] gone out and busked instead, and everyone told me i was a nut case.