And before anyone says it: "But at least parking lots are more aesthetically pleasing than Soviet khrushchevkas and panelkas." And: "But China has ghost cities!"
Quick explainer: Khrushchevkas were the low-rise mass housing blocks from the Khrushchev era: thin walls, tiny kitchens, built fast and cheap. Panelkas came later under Brezhnev, taller and made of prefab concrete panels, equally grim. Both defined Soviet urban landscapes for decades. Both were cramped, often poorly insulated, and not visually inspiring. But sure, tell me a parking lot is an upgrade.