The people to talk to about this are architects and town planners. They tend to be acutely aware of cultural differences between different countries, to the poi

The people to talk to about this are architects and town planners. They tend to be acutely aware of cultural differences between different countries, to the point that it starts to be a problem (because cultural stereotyping comes into play). When I studied architecture in London, there was a lot of envy expressed toward continental urbanism (Copenhagen, but also Barcelona, Vienna, Zurich). In general, continental European cities are a bit more regimented in their design, compared to the traditionally liberal culture of the UK. Planning can be feel a bit more heavy-handed on the continent, and in the UK it tends to be more laissez-faire. There is long-standing suspicion of continental European norms in the UK, as I'm sure you are aware. This is part and parcel of Brexit. Somewhere extreme like Singapore manages to be extremely well organised and liveable at the price of being a bit paternalistic. I think that's the extreme "high organization" end of the spectrum, where the state can really make very large interventions.