[drewr]

I think it may indeed be an illusion. Paris, for example, was extremely planned.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haussmann%27s_renovation_of_Pa...

[ethanbond]

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.

[vidarh]

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/reconn...

[laurencerowe]

The 19th century equivalent of driving freeways through poor districts in American cities.

[johncoltrane]

You would have to consider Paris to be one of OP's "best cities in the world", though.