Everyone seems to love the urbanity of Paris and Amsterdam. I can add to that Tokyo and Tel Aviv. The Castro neighborhood here in San Francisco has some of the elements that create a genuine urban environment.
The photo on the right exemplifies one element: flowers. I love flowers on the street that make smell a useful urban sidewalk sense. There are four flower shops in the Castro. Not nearly enough but a good start.
Another element in the Castro District is public art by local artists. The window on the left is near Market on Sanchez. The artist changes the window at least monthly and it is always interesting. The artist lives in the space behind the window.