The sprawling metropolis of Neo-Tokyo is an example of a sophistication in technology and how densely populated it is. The entire setting, like the real Tokyo, is very large and overpowering, and features streets drenched in neon lighting and corporate signs. The setting is visually stunning and is very Blade Runner and cyberpunk in its design. the surface of Neo-Tokyo is the usaul concrete jungle of skyscrapers and industrial buildings, but beneath is a vast network of wires, pipes, circuitry, technology and energy conduits which are just as overpowering as the city itself. Clearly it takes a lot of man power and energy to keep this city running, perhaps a little to much. This is the common groundwork for any cyber punk orientated work, which in this case is an over reliance of technology and the constant desire to update and discover more.
The city is saturated, not just in its setting but also how its society functions. The maximum potential has been achieved and the revolution of the people is going to bring it down to square one, repeating the process of maturing and rebuilding after destruction or revelation has been achieved. When something is full it needs to be emptied, which is exactly what Neo-Tokyo needs, its needs to empty its self and fill up again. Even at one point in the movie a character suggests a similar outlook. The character Nezu says "This city is like an overripe fruit".
The idea of reaching maximum potential is conveyed with the character Akira, and the fact that this last great discovery within old Tokyo is what destroyed it, and started the next stage of the destruction cycle, rebuilding. The social boiling point has been met within Neo-Tokyo, and it will result in change and a new order, only for it to boil over again and change again.
