I agree with your point but I have one nitpick. > unlike the American expectation that city centers feature enormous skyscrapers that pack people like sardines

I agree with your point but I have one nitpick. > unlike the American expectation that city centers feature enormous skyscrapers that pack people like sardines Most skyscrapers in Manhattan at least are either for commercial use or feature large apartments/luxury condos (designed to solicit foreign investment). Average urban joe working a nebulous media job does not live in a skyscraper, although they may work in one. People in NYC are "packed like sardines" into similar 3-6 story low-rise row houses just like in many European cities. This is because NYC was built up prior to many now-standard zoning regulations, so it follows a more similar pattern to older European cities. The issue is affordability -- apartments near my office would cost 3x or more per month than where I currently live. How does Rome handle this?