I agree that trying to define a CG society in a way that actually functions is hard. CG elves are just really weird. Maybe it's a continuum of how much order and structure there is in society and an individual.
As an example from my favorite D&D world, Mystara (D&D only had L/N/C but I think it's a good example): The Dwarf gazetteer had standardized city block map plans in the book and all the major cities had maps laid out according to this plan. If the DM wanted, he could photocopy these and make a map of any city in Dwarf-land.
On the other hand, the thought of doing this for Elf-land would be rejected out of hand by elves. Roads are where people wander, not pre-determined. Houses are built where the trees grow, not where you deliberately place stone.