I believe your opinion is based on very local observations. Cities in Europe are wildly different, and in many aspects, they are very successful. Even in the US

I believe your opinion is based on very local observations. Cities in Europe are wildly different, and in many aspects, they are very successful. Even in the US, cities have changed a lot over time, as shown by the gentrification of inner cities. This one efficient model you are talking about is merely the solution to one set of tradeoff decisions in your area, with other tradeoffs being chosen in other places.