^ Yes, but in a specifically US/Canadian context whereby “downtown” is readily associated with tall buildings, important commercial activity, and cultural amenities. In that sense, Manhattan is the holy grail by which everything is measured against. However, Manhattan has essentially evolved from its early days as a larger, grander Philadelphia into something more analogous to Paris in so far as the entire borough now constitutes the whole core. It’s such an outlier that it’s its own distinct archetype—a blend of the archetypal American CBD with a European form and a certain level of chaos/intensity redolent of mega cities in Asian and Latin America.
Chicago is the archetypal downtown city these days. Its urban model is more relatable and, in theory, replicable at various scales for just about every American city.
Last edited by Quixote; Mar 23, 2021 at 1:03 PM.
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