People who imagine medieval cities as dark, crowded and muddy have obviously never seen a map of them. Here is Bologna in 1588, a bit more crowded than it would have been in the middle ages. Up is roughly south on this map. 
In the center you can see the 1567 statue of Naptune on top of the fountain at the Piazza Maggiore. The plaza as we see it today (and in this map) was laid out in the 15th century, surrounded by civic buildings.
Almost all houses in the center of the city have access to public or private courtyards, providing a clean, cool, safe place to conduct business, rest, or entertain. Here are the courtyards of the Palazzo Comunale, and (to compare), a more modest semi-private one.
Obviously almost nothing of this survives today, but medieval Bologna had ample space both inside and just outside its city walls to raise vegetables, keep orchards or livestock for those who wished. A vital ability in war, and also to make the city more independent in peace.
In 1588 Bologna had about 60 000 ppl. A small town by modern standards, but even at that size it boasted world famous artists, architecture, poetry, cuisine, traditions, culture. They even had their own language, Bulgnais, a favorite of Dante. What town of 60K can say that today?
