I mean in the sense of what perceived chaos or deterioration is “allowed” in a city or it’s infrastructure. E.g whether a plot can be left unbuilt or half torn down for example, and the standards which are expected of public infrastructure like roads or train stations.
Cities like Tokyo might be more comparabe, and much nicer than NYC in many aspects, especially the public transportation system. For a major city NY looks pretty shabby and not that nice in average.
