Earlier quoted context omitted.
> the purpose of a hospital is to provide for the sick And the purpose of society is to provide for its people. All of them.
Perhaps true for society depending on your views, but the point of a city is simply somewhere many people want to live together. A sign of a healthy city is steady growth, this could be from the opportunities available or the attractiveness of the quality of life of the city. For Sf, the opportunity aspect is strong enough so people are willing to overlook the widespread homelessness.
Not views, but human history.