is architecture a good investment?

This is a picture of somewhere in the UAE. I filched the picture from Al Jazeera. I doubt that those are green skyscrapers, and I'm not certain if the buildings in the foreground are old buildings, or new buildings that have been detailed to look old.

The question I pose may seem rather dumb, and as a design professional it is my sworn duty to claim, despite any contrary evidence, that architecture is always a worthy and valuable thing. But I can't help but wonder if our ability to generate conditioned space has exceeded its marginal utility when compared to other endeavors--like improved sewers, better food, cleaner air and good entertainment.

The recent recession slowed things down a bit, but the mentality associated with buildings, which depends in large part on a near universal belief in their lasting value, does not seem to have changed. People forget that function is the purpose of form.