The source article:

https://www.ft.com/content/dca3f034-bfe8-4f21-bcdc-2b274053f0b5

Three distinct factors are at work here...

...a shared culture that values the privacy of one’s own home

...the planning regimes in all six anglophone countries are united in facilitating objections to individual applications

...Anglophone planning frameworks give huge weight to environmental conservation, yet the preference for low-density developments fuels car-dependent sprawl and eats up more of that cherished green and pleasant land.

The author's conclusion:

Ultimately, whether the goal is tackling the housing crisis, protecting the environme or boosting productivity, the answer to so many woes in the English-speaking world is to unburden ourselves of our anti-apartment exceptionalism.