I agree about human nature not being good or bad but rather an instinctive force that adapt to any condition.
I also want to add a different perspective.
We indeed have an operating system and it is written in a specific language which in the past prevented us to interact with foreign devices. We also install programs, plugins that we copy from other devices. The ones we call culture and religion for example, those are complete packs with many thinking mods. Shortcuts are created so we always choose those macro's when we are on autopilot mode. So I would say yes the environment shapes us but humans are a big part of the environment and in cities almost anything we experience is human made or human manipulated. So this artificial place we call a city is like a sandbox where we can experiment and shape environments that in turn will also shape us.
So do we ever change the world or we always change ourselves and we are just lost in the mirror?
What we observe now is that individuals or groups of people everywhere in the world are already taking action and creating their own environment, community projects that enrich the urban space and make it more nourishing to its citizens. Many things can be done: Street-art, urban farming, car free zones, share economy, anything that will create independence and bring people together to create changes for local problems.
Thanks for the input! I know what you're talking about - you hit the nail! We are afterall, influenced by our spaces - while building them at the same time :). I have this in a video towards the end of one of my Ethereum articles - check it out :) It's the one about Ghost In The Shell