Detroit’s real renaissance is now happening in many small places, not the few big ones. Walk around Brush Park, Lower Woodward, and Midtown, and you’ll find all sorts of cool stuff popping up.

If The Bahamas rebuilds using the wisdom hard-earned on these islands over time, then the disaster of Dorian can result in a renewal of the places and buildings that have made The Bahamas world-famous, and have long driven the economy.

The scale and form of communities—and avoiding sprawl—will play critical roles in their long-term resilience.