[jperras]

Lifelong Montréaler here. I think having "problem" in the title is what is ruffling feathers, although I'm not particularly bothered by it. That's perhaps where the analogy is strained the most: stylistic divergence in code can be problematic, but in architecture and urbanism it's typically seen as an asset.

Perhaps calling it the "Montréal effect" would be more apropos?

[sevagh]

It's just a low-value analogy. Wikipedia says there's 10,000 cities in the world. Montreal cannot possibly be the exemplar of whatever this post is trying to say.