The facts are there to see for anyone who cares to read the archaeological and historical literature. I think that probably a great many have been deeply in touch with the livingingness of the planet and not a few have also been highly awakened spiritual beings. These two things are not the real issue. While there are numerous postulated reasons, the primary two seem to be some deep, psychic need for togetherness and the greater ease of food production and distribution. Lots of birds and animals alter their local environment by fashioning living spaces.
Humans just do it on a much more massive level because of their tendency to want to live together.
Large social centers have lots of nice things about them that enlightenment will not make us not want. Things like hospitals, museums, and schools. The problems is not the cities themselves, anyway. The problem is the lack of consciousness and education of the people managing and living in the cities. We need to have a greater level of ecospiritual consciousness and education in both the managers and inhabitants of cities.