His heroes are the builders who made Paris: Louis IX with his Sainte-Chapelle, Henri IV for his Place des Vosges, Haussmann for the open, harmonious plan that marks Paris to this day.
The vision is laudable but, as well as looking outward, Edinburgh's leaders would do well to draw inspiration from its own history: from the harmonious plans of its architects, the wisdom of its political philosophers, and the tireless energy of its administrators who, out of disorder and poverty, constructed one of the world's great cities.
Monet's water is teeming with possibilities, all of them interconnected in an elaborate and thoroughly harmonious plan.
In a way, on the Chinese embargo, the EU has achieved the miracle of both: it has been cacophonous about the justification and the likely consequences, but so far harmonious about the actual plan to remove the embargo.
But both insist that their plans are as harmonious as Monet brush-strokes.
China Seeks Social Harmony The Communist Party adopted a plan to "build a harmonious socialist society" and tackle the side effects of soaring economic growth.
This month is also the second anniversary of the introduction of President Hu Jintao's plans to build a "harmonious society" by tackling inequality and bringing citizens closer together.
It is crucial for any country the development of a harmonious, cohesive, integrated and sustainable territorial urban plan, but it should never be forgotten the soil environmental importance for sustainability and human welfare.
Structural changes in post-revolutionary Romanian society require affirmation of adult education as a prerequisite for harmonious integration and development on the socio-professional plan.
By the end of the plan period the goal of establishing a "harmonious socialist society", a favourite catchphrase of Mr Wen's and Mr Hu's, appeared even more remote than at the beginning.
