For anyone following the debate over new data centers, it might seem that the biggest problem facing these facilities is not electricity, water, or technology. Apparently, the real crisis is that they are just too ugly.
Architects and developers are now spending considerable time and money trying to convince local communities that if they add enough brickwork, artistic facades, walking trails, pickleball courts, and landscaping, people will suddenly embrace massive new data centers in their neighborhoods. Some projects are being designed to resemble Silicon Valley campuses. Others borrow architectural themes from local landmarks. One proposed facility in Phoenix even incorporates design elements inspired by the ribs of the saguaro cactus.
It all sounds impressive. But perhaps everyone is missing the point.
A data center is not a pig that needs lipstick.
Pretty Buildings Do Not Build Prosperity
According to architect Geoffrey Diamond of Gensler, “It’s no different than any other building and it doesn’t deserve to look any worse than any other building.”
Fair enough.
There is certainly nothing wrong with attractive architecture. Nobody wants endless rows of gray concrete boxes if there is an affordable alternative. Trees, landscaping, and thoughtful design can make almost any industrial facility blend more naturally into its surroundings.
But the conversation becomes almost comical when cosmetic improvements begin to overshadow the reasons communities should actually want these projects in the first place.
The real value of a data center has never been whether someone likes its exterior.
It lies in what happens after construction begins.
The Real Benefits Are Measured in Dollars
Modern data centers represent some of the largest private infrastructure investments being made anywhere in the country.
Construction creates thousands of jobs. Roads are widened. Electrical systems are upgraded. Water infrastructure is modernized. Broadband capacity often expands well beyond the needs of the facility itself.
Communities also gain something every local government desperately needs: tax revenue.
Unlike many forms of economic development that rely on promises of future growth, data centers immediately begin contributing substantial property tax revenues that can support schools, police, fire departments, and public infrastructure for decades.
Those benefits continue long after the ribbon cutting ceremony.
Some developers are now being encouraged to negotiate even broader partnerships, including workforce development, technical training programs, university research partnerships, AI education initiatives, and investments in local technology industries. Brookings argues that communities should increasingly negotiate for long-term economic ecosystems rather than simply approving another construction project.
That is a conversation worth having.
Whether the building has decorative brickwork or weathered steel accents is not.
The Cosmetic Arms Race
Developers have clearly recognized that appearance has become a political issue.
Projects now feature native landscaping, walking trails, gathering spaces, murals, courtyards, office-like facades, and community recreation areas.
One Virginia project was redesigned to resemble nearby university buildings.
Another proposed dog park was replaced with four pickleball courts after residents were surveyed.
The effort is understandable. Developers want permits approved, and local governments face organized opposition from nearby residents.
Still, one cannot help but wonder whether everyone involved has lost sight of the bigger picture.
If the concern is that a large industrial building looks industrial, perhaps a simpler solution exists.
Plant some trees.
Add shrubs.
Create a reasonable visual buffer.
Then spend the remaining millions improving the things that actually improve people’s lives.
Most Concerns Already Have Solutions
The interesting part of today’s debate is that the issues most commonly raised against data centers are increasingly manageable.
Water use continues to improve through closed-loop cooling systems, reclaimed water, and conservation projects.
Energy demand is increasingly being paired with renewable generation, grid improvements, geothermal development, and even new approaches to load balancing that reduce stress during peak demand.
Some companies are investing directly in renewable energy that provides benefits beyond the data center itself.
Noise can be controlled through setbacks, sound barriers, modern equipment design, and landscaping.
Traffic is temporary during construction.
These are engineering problems.
Engineering problems get solved.
The appearance of a building is perhaps the easiest problem of all to solve.
Communities Should Think Bigger
The Brookings Institution argues that communities have gained significant leverage because competition among developers has become so intense.
Instead of negotiating over decorative facades and architectural flourishes, local officials could focus on obtaining workforce training programs, research partnerships, technology incubators, AI education initiatives, infrastructure upgrades, and long-term economic development.
Those are benefits that continue producing value for decades.
A decorative mural does not.
Neither does another expensive brick facade that few people will notice after a few months.
Communities should absolutely insist that developers be good neighbors. Attractive landscaping, thoughtful architecture, and reasonable screening all have their place.
But they should not mistake cosmetic improvements for meaningful public benefits.
Let’s Keep Things in Perspective
There is nothing wrong with making industrial facilities attractive.
A row of mature trees, quality landscaping, and sensible design standards can go a long way toward helping any large building fit naturally into its surroundings.
What becomes difficult to understand is the notion that these projects somehow require elaborate architectural disguises before they deserve approval.
The true value of a data center is not measured by whether it resembles an art museum.
It is measured by the billions of dollars invested, the infrastructure left behind, the tax revenues generated, the jobs created, the educational opportunities developed, and the technology ecosystem that grows around it.
If communities negotiate wisely, those lasting benefits can far outweigh the temporary inconvenience of looking at another large building.
After all, lipstick eventually wears off.
Economic prosperity tends to stick around much longer.
