I answered the question last year from the daily writing prompt – How would you design the city of the future? – with this post called CITY.

I was looking at a city I love in Maryland called Ocean City. From a webcam shot just after sunrise I see the recovery from the effects of hurricane Erin under way at the same time it appears to be Jeep Week, and they are awaiting the ride in the sand.

It kind of reminds me of the ebb and flow of cities. Always being tested. Infrastructure, policing, government, development, services. And of course, the people that make it up. Like a lot of beach towns, the ebb and flow of people is as dramatic as the sea.

Just under 7000 people live there. Yet in the summers it gets to 300-350 thousand people. How do you design a city for such swings, keep its natural beauty and serve all those people. And how do you sustain it when they are gone?

Cities adapt like people do. They also age, not as fast as people but they age and, in some cases, die off. So many factors determine a city’s success or failure.

Personally, I’m not sure I’d design a city. And if I did it would be more spread out like one, I live near called Columbia Maryland.

I’m more into small towns myself.

View other responses to this prompt here