For me it sounds like as non-citizen I get all the advantages, without the disadvantages with the current idea.
I think the city owners should have more advantages for letting people stay in their area like taxes, bonuses, ... special plot reservation/spots for citizens, ...
About the discussion "Guild vs. Solo players" - in the past I have done all:
- Joining guilds when I liked to play with them.
- Joining guilds just for the buffs but not interacting with them.
- Playing solo (including endgame).
It always depends on the community what I do.
I think it shouldn't be a discussion how people want to play but a discussion how to make it fair for all players.