Asset Safety Makes Space Feel Worthless

If a large alliance loses a Keepstar or another major structure, what did they actually lose? The structure itself, some rigs, and some ISK. For a large established group, that often makes losing a station an inconvenience rather than a catastrophe.

If taking someone's territory meant capturing or destroying the infrastructure that supports their economy, ships, minerals, ammunition, production stockpiles, doctrine reserves, capital fleets, etc. suddenly defending your home would matter a hell of a lot more.

At the same time, citadel combat is heavily artificial. Damage caps limit how quickly attackers can destroy structures regardless of how much force they bring, while structure mechanics prevent the kind of repair and logistics gameplay that exists almost everywhere else in EVE.
Let logistics ships repair them. Let neuts matter. Let capacitor warfare matter. Let attackers escalate to overcome the defenders. Let defenders counter-escalate to determine the outcome of the station attack or defense not just to turn the grid into a massive space brawl with no meaning.

Space becomes valuable when there is something meaningful to lose.

If your alliance's home system contains years worth of accumulated ships, resources, industry, and infrastructure, losing that system should be terrifying. It should create desperate defenses, evacuation fleets, breakout attempts, logistics operations, and wars people remember.

EVE is at its best when destruction matters.

If losing your home doesn't hurt, owning it doesn't mean much either.