Part of it is design (eg, lots of hard surfaces that amplify and redirect sounds), part of it is for safety (eg, the mobility vehicles) and part of it is culture (eg, bright flashy things attract attention) and part of it is just plain mandated (eg, annoucement).

Some of it can be changed (eg, carpets instead of tile, sound absorption materials or even adding some greenery) but requires more maintenance (eg, carpets need to be replaced more frequently than tile) but it's also a culture shift for many who are used to big noise, big lights, etc.

Another issue is attitude and respect (such as people actually stepping aside for the mobility vehicles or people using headphones to watch videos and conduct conference calls). There is a lot of light and noise pollution and it requires real effort to deal with.