In one article about Dwarf Fortress they talked about how they would write stories, then pull apart the stories to figure out how they are made and then how to

In one article about Dwarf Fortress they talked about how they would write stories, then pull apart the stories to figure out how they are made and then how to make them randomly. It's a bit different from physical/realistic inspiration, and likely to lead to more fun in the results. If I vaguely remember, there's this sense of major plot points, and then everything else is connective tissue. You can imagine the same thing in a city design – what are the parts of a city that make it distinctive, or fun, or notable? You randomly choose some distinctive design elements, and then fill in. This generator has a bit of that. I like how the rivers or an ocean can dramatically redefine a city in this generator. But there could certainly be more. Interesting topology. Highways, instead of a couple equally-sized roads. A scattering of distinctive building forms, like a military base, convent, marketplace.