5 ms·

I think it may indeed be an illusion. Paris, for example, was extremely planned. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haussmann%27s_renovation_of_Paris https://en.wik

• ethanbond 5y ago
  This is fascinating! Thanks for sharing. It’s hard to tell what the specificity of the planning was… it seems to have included the street layouts and the below-ground infrastructure, but unclear on the facades and the shop/business distribution? I didn’t know about this but it makes a lot of sense. Those enormous boulevards are clearly not original nor unplanned.
  • laurencerowe 5y ago
    The 19th century equivalent of driving freeways through poor districts in American cities.
  • vidarh 5y ago
    Even the facades in Paris were planned to the point that there were regulations on color and material and design [1]. Regulations were eventually loosened up somewhat. [1] https://www.unjourdeplusaparis.com/en/paris-reportage/reconnaitre-immeuble-haussmannien https://www.unjourdeplusaparis.com/en/paris-reportage/reconn...
• johncoltrane 5y ago
  You would have to consider Paris to be one of OP's "best cities in the world", though.