So I feel the garden worlds would be wealthier, and since more output for every input, may have more technological progress over a long period of time (plus if trade routes fail, and war and disaster life support systems are more delicate than a garden world ecosystem. Maybe. Ahem.)
That basic garden worlds concept is reflected in different but direct ways in the Traveller rule systems over the years.
In GURPS: Interstellar Wars - World Generation creates a Resource Value prior to determining population. An initial value is rolled, then raised up the friendlier the world is (size, atmo, water). If RVM is positive, generate in a more or less standard way. If not, populate ONLY if there is a logical reason to do so (base to close a gap in Jump Route, base(s) near enemy powers, etc.). Even then population generated is lower (uses a different table).
Megatraveller, The New Era, and 1248 each have different methods to alter World Profiles reflecting collapse of empires back to something reflecting GGS due to extended war in Megatraveller (Hard Times), or total disaster due to Virus in TNE and 1248. The more a planet relied on Tech to survive or just having a super high TL (which imply more underlying infrastructure) the more severe the collapse.