Can I match a larger-sensor camera's night cityscape by converting the settings to my Canon G16?

You can translate exposure, but not image quality directly. The basic exposure relationship is aperture, shutter speed, and ISO — but copying another photo’s settings only works if the lighting is the same.

For a night cityscape, the best starting point is:

• tripod + self-timer
• lowest ISO
• stop the lens down 1–2 stops from wide open
• use whatever shutter speed gives proper exposure

So on a G16, don’t assume f/1.8 is the right equivalent just because the sensor is smaller. In fact, for a sharp cityscape you’ll often want to avoid shooting wide open and instead let the shutter run longer.

A smaller sensor can still produce very good results, especially for web-size viewing, but it generally won’t fully match a larger sensor in overall image quality. That said, careful technique matters a lot.

Also, the Flickr image may have been processed afterward; straight vertical lines suggest perspective correction, and RAW editing can make a big difference in the final look.

So: use the meter as your starting point, shoot at base ISO on a tripod, and expect that you can get close in appearance, though not always identical in quality.