Why is KL by far Westeros's crappiest city?

[StarkDragon]

Something that puzzles me:

Every description of KL emphasizes how horrible, filthy, disgusting, crime-ridden, etc. is--but the smaller cities of Westeros (Oldtown, White Harbor, Lannisport) actually seem pretty nice. As Davos says in ADwD, quoting an old captain he knew,

Cities were like women...each had one had its own unique scent. Oldtown was as flowery as a perfumed dowager. Lannisport was

a milkmaid, fresh and earthy, with woodsmoke in her hair.

King's Landing reeked like some unwashed whore. But White

Harbor's scent was sharp and salty, and a little fishy too.

Now, KL has more trade and commerce than any city in Westeros and it is the seat of government. Why then should it be such a hellhole compared to the smaller cities of Westeros? Any ideas?

King's Landing is based on Rome, or in other cases Constantinople.

Rome had things like the Gladiator Events to keep the ungodly amount of impoverished from starting riots. They tried to feed, house, and entertain the masses while also working on the means of Politics.

[Stormking Alesander I]

Because it was built by crazy foreign Targs. Westeros for the Westerosi!

[Chatty Duelist]

Lack of garbage disposal system, lack of centralized government, lack of competent law enforcement, rampant corruption, lack of welfare, lack of sewers, lack of aqueducts, lack of proper cleaning organization, lack of planning, rapid inorganic and unorganized growth. etc etc.

[Jaak]

Because it was built by crazy foreign Targs. Westeros for the Westerosi!

Septon Barth was not a foreigner. And ser Otto Hightower was Westerosi, should have known how to run Oldtown, and was in office for at least 26 years.

[Stormking Alesander I]

Septon Barth was not a foreigner. And ser Otto Hightower was Westerosi, should have known how to run Oldtown, and was in office for at least 26 years.

It was still built by Targs, making it very difficult to rule. Westerosi are perfect. For the Seven!

[C0bR]

the bigger the city is, the greater shithole it becomes

[King Zee]

Why would it be a stupid move?

Like the poster mentioned there is no direct government over it like the other major cities in Westeros. The King and his court don't care about Kingslanding there needs to be someone who manages the city and is a intermediate for the Iron Throne and the city.

Another problem would be the people don't know who to listen to someone is always telling them something there is no consistency in the city's runnings.

Because youre creating a competing power in the Capital. You could end up with a situation with the House controlling KL holding the King hostage. Not only directly but by controlling access to the palace, food supply, messages etc

[Chatty Duelist]

the bigger the city is, the greater shithole it becomes

Constantinople and Rome beg to differ. Also Medieval Baghdad pre-Sack.

[Skagosi High Chef]

I don't see why this is strange.

I'm fairly sure London was an absolute hellhole compared to smaller towns and cities throughout a good chunk of its history. Without modern living standards, it's almost inevitable that largest, most important cities are going to be fairly unpleasant.

Question answered.

[Ürglõvi]

Because having a thinly-veiled cesspit as the seat of governement makes for a good imagery and says pretty much all there is to know about Westeros. The shitload of wildfire somewhere in the bottom just completes the picture..

The more I think about it, the more I suspect King's Landing is going to burn down (either by the dragons or wildfire), and it will be A Good Thing. A new beginning of sorts.

[Whitering]

Constantinople and Rome beg to differ. Also Medieval Baghdad pre-Sack.

I think the general difference is that in those kingdoms they mostly shoved people who lived on the street out of the cities, whereas they have not done that in KL. I was watching a video on the Spanish enclave of Cueta. It has a huge fence around it to keep people from North Africa wandering on in. Outside this fence, where all these prospective refugees await their chance to leap the fence was full of littered garbage. I mean, this sparse forest around the fence looked more akin to a garbage dump.

That's the type of thing Rome and Baghdad kept outside of the city, and KL has let wander into the city.

[Michael Herman]

I think the Targs just wanted a really big city for their seat, so encouraged unnecessary growth, poor planning ect, Oldtown grew far more naturally.

I never got the impression that Braavos was that big, still a fairly large city, sure, but smalled than KL or Oldtown.

[AzureOwl]

I think the Targs just wanted a really big city for their seat, so encouraged unnecessary growth, poor planning ect, Oldtown grew far more naturally.

I never got the impression that Braavos was that big, still a fairly large city, sure, but smalled than KL or Oldtown.

You're assuming there was any planning at all involved in the city's construction. I don't think there was.

[GHOSTSTARK]

its the capital. theres rats running it so of course its going to be dirty

[Jaak]

You're assuming there was any planning at all involved in the city's construction. I don't think there was.

The circuit walls and gates were not built piecemeal by the common hut-owners. Somebody must have decided to build the circuit wall around the civilian town to start with - Winterfell´s winter town, Eyrie, Riverrun, Storm´s End and Sunspear don´t have it. And then decided the course of the wall and removed any huts that may have been built on the way.

[AzureOwl]

The circuit walls and gates were not built piecemeal by the common hut-owners. Somebody must have decided to build the circuit wall around the civilian town to start with - Winterfell´s winter town, Eyrie, Riverrun, Storm´s End and Sunspear don´t have it. And then decided the course of the wall and removed any huts that may have been built on the way.

We don’t know yet when the city wall went up or how big the city was when it did. The city follows no discernable pattern that would indicate a preconceived plan. The early Targaryen kings seem to have put all their effort into the Red Keep and let the city to fend for itself. Maegor the Cruel slaughtering what was probably the best architects of the Realm probably didn’t help.

[Jaak]

We don’t know yet when the city wall went up or how big the city was when it did.

We do know the wall was in its place by Dance.

[AzureOwl]

We do know the wall was in its place by Dance.

Which started 129 years after Aegon the Conqueror landed, so it doesn't narrow it down all that much.

[The Kinkslayer]

KL is just like NY: it is the center of power, but smells like urine

[Fat Trell]

I think the lack of a real city government is a big problem in KL's development. It seems like most city positions are either absorbed wholesale into the crown or simple patronage/bribery opportunities.