They're fine

They're fine where their unique characteristics many of those characteristics center around the nomadic lifestyles of the people who traditionally lived in and developed them (Diablo 3 Gold)...

if you aren't a nomad who needs a house that can be knocked down or assembled in a few hours, or don't live in a climate similar to the central Asian steppes where yurts come from, chances are there's something far more suited to your situation that is just as environmentally friendly and simple and inexpensive compared to typical modern American tract style housing.

That isn't to say that tents and tent-like structures only work in one place or can't be long term housing- they are incredibly adaptable- but of all the various types of tents used all over the world throughout history, the yurt is one of the more specialized types designed for constant moves while grazing sheep (Diablo 3 Gold).

If you change it or adapt it or update it it stops being a yurt and becomes just another round tent...which is fine, but the beauty of tents is that they are so easy to just design on the spot and work into the landscape using what materials you have at hand or that are readily available.

This is pretty high tech (could be done on the cheap with recycled billboard vinyls)...but imagine this kind of roof with walls of dry stacked stone or adobe or logs or recycled lumber or ? to create rooms and partitions- or do the walls of fabric, but just go totally free form.