<p>The persistent disorder in many planned cities presents a “wicked problem” for urban governance. This paper confronts this challenge by reframing the concept of ‘urban anarchy’ not as simple chaos, but as a manifestation of systemic dysfunction. We argue that a fundamental rethink of urban analysis is needed, moving from qualitative description to a more systemic and reflective diagnostic approach. To this end, we develop and apply a systemic practice for urban diagnosis, using a multi-criteria analysis (MCA) framework applied to Greater Tunis. This framework operationalizes abstract theories of complexity and dysfunction into a concrete, quantitative tool. The results provide a clear diagnosis of a severely imbalanced urban hierarchy. Our discussion offers a reflective analysis of these findings, exploring the correlation between the diagnosed dysfunction and the history of reactive, top-down planning interventions. The primary contribution of this work is a transferable systemic framework that enables researchers and practitioners to gain a deeper, evidence-based understanding of complex urban systems, fostering a more reflective approach to planning and intervention.</p>