Why was Tenochtitlan and other Mexica cities so much larger and more impressive than the grandest European cities the conquistadors had seen?

by RusticBohemian

The conquistadors wrote that the cities they encountered in present-day Mexico were often larger, grander, and more densely populated than the cities of Europe they were used to. Why were the Aztecs and their neighbors able to out-build Europeans to such an extent?

voyeur324

Listen to Podcast Episode #33, starring /u/400-rabbits.

EDIT: I do not believe any of the podcast episodes have been transcribed, so I look forward to reading a detailed text answer as well if someone is willing.

EDIT2: /u/Cozijo has previously answered Why were Natives of South and Central America always so incredibly ahead of their neighbours in North America?