urbanism

Really depends on your priorities (e.g. aesthetics vs. comfort).

Extremely steep stairs

are quite space efficient, and if you can't walk those, chances are less steep stairs are difficult too. That's why stairlifts exist.

high ceilings with big windows

are the most important feature in an apartment for me. I don't like the claustrophobic feel of modern low ceilings, and windows have gotten smaller in the 50s and are now ridiculously big but without the intricate features or good proportions of pre war buildings, which were perfected over time and make for nice, bright living quarters.

High ceilings are also much more comfortable in the heat of the coming climate, and I don't have the money to really heat my apartment anyway so I use blankets and hot bottles.

I'm absolutely with you on the shitty landlords' special. Fake fireplaces are neither original nor necessary and usually only there to increase the rent.

Also I didn't watch the video, sorry. The power of the thumbnail just compelled me to leave this comment

The video has the single message that enforcing a lot of internal circulation leads to the development of bigger apartment blocks with mostly one bedroom apartments. Allowing a single staircase (which isn't a security risk any more thanks to better fire prevention measures) makes it possible to develop a variety of apartment layouts and generally build more housing.

these houses are all loong tube-shaped and way too much of the theoretically useful l space is just stairs/hallways

I find this really annoying as well.

the worst thing is apartments that have a flat roof. they act like water isn't an issue at all.

Flat roofs have gotten quite good lately. In Europe, modern flat roofs have an almost 200 year history (look up Berliner Dach for examples) and if they are well executed, there are no issues. The bigger issue with modern building techniques is the omission of constructive building protection (e.g. roof overhang, which protects buildings from driving rain) And instead an overreliance on modern materials.

im quite ok with having two staircases so people don't burn to death and have more ways to get out.

The video addresses this seven minutes in... despite requiring two staircases, the US is not exceptionally safe when it comes to deaths from fire. Austria, Italy, and the Netherlands all outperform.

Not exactly

Another example of an apartment building that's illegal to build in North America

However, since capitalism permeates everything and cars ruined space efficient building and planning practices, USian non-spaces are spreading everywhere. It's just that regulations in the US are exceptionally supportive of capitalist extraction.