When I first learned about raising the streets at massive scale in American cities (Chicago Seattle etc.), I was very fascinated. I’m not sure if this is/was an unique American exercise.
Medieval cities used to do this; essentialy a transition from a small town to an actual city, i.e. "we are no longer able to fit the place to nature, let's do the opposite thing then."
See also Rome, which is built on top of about eight more layers of Rome. Residents often get architectural and history students asking to look at something weird in the basement.