While I don't have a beef with the idea that Tokyo, etc., are world cities that are simply in a different league from Toronto, I did find the list of things amusing when applied to those other cities. Tokyo for instance, is absolutely full of "bland nonsense" and I found its built environment overwhelmingly dull (as in any city, there are great buildings, so please don't start searching the web and posting them - I'm talking about the overall environment here). I also found Tokyo to have very limited and poorly thought out public spaces likes squares and parks. Of course, it's very, very good at commercial districts, incomparable really, but one gets tired of shopping, or at least I do.
The selective immigration rules that you want would likely to be harmful if implemented, if developed. Not to bash Tokyo again, but the decreasing and ageing Japanese population, timidly conservative about change, and frankly racist towards foreigners, strikes me as a worse situation by far than whatever it is you don't like about our current immigration policy.
New York's apogee of power occured when it was the world's immigrant city. Since WWII, when that started to shift, New York has seen its relative position decline. Not sure where you are going with the immigration thing, but it seems to me you are mistaken about it.
Sports I am indifferent to, completely, but if it matters to you, then fine. I do note that according to
this site, we are second in North America in championships, but as you note, not so much lately. I really don't think this is a measure of much at all.
As for a strong, diversified economy, that's a bit hard to find these days, almost anywhere, no?
My point, as always, is that by giving a free ride to other cities while criticizing things in Toronto you develop a paralyzing inferiority complex. Not really necessary.
