Best/Worst Cities

It is very easy to think of characteristics of a “bad city” and of cities that would fall into this category. It is also fairly east to think of characteristics of a “good city,” however it is much harder to think of a city that fits into this category. One city that comes to mind as a “bad city” would be Port au Prince, Haiti. Most obviously, Port au Prince would fall into this category because of its proximity to the Enriquillo Plantain Garden fault line. This is the fault line that was responsible for the 2010 earthquake in Haiti that wreaked severe havoc on not only Port au Prince, but also the entire country of Haiti. Haiti is also not a very ideal city because it lies at such low elevation. At its highest point, Port au Prince is located 65 meters above sea level. The weather in Port au Prince is also not very ideal. Summers in Port au Prince are extremely hot with the average high in July being 93F and the average high during February being 88F. The city is also fairly crowded and there are approximately 50,650 people per square mile.

There are many characteristics of an ideal city. Some of these characteristics include not being located on a fault line, not being prone to hurricanes or tornadoes, have a fairly low population density, be located somewhere where it easy for trade to take place, etc. A city that could potentially be characterized as a “good city” would be Washington, D.C. Washington D.C. is located on the Potomac River, which makes it a good location for trade. It is also at an ideal elevation with the lowest point being the Potomac River, which lies at 0 ft above sea level and the highest point is located 409 ft. above sea level. While the winters in Washington D.C. are pretty cold, the summers are mild and the average high in June is only 84F.