Yes, this was my thought as well. I was in Rotterdam last summer which was mostly leveled by WWII bombing. It was very striking how much more modern the city

Yes, this was my thought as well. I was in Rotterdam last summer which was mostly leveled by WWII bombing. It was very striking how much more modern the city was than cities like Amsterdam which came away with much less destruction. Obviously the destruction was horrible, but it was really interesting to me how it paved the way for redevelopment and vibrant newness. I guess this should be obvious. The chain of cause and effect is very straightforward and unsurprising in retrospect. But somehow at the same time it also seems counterintuitive how destruction can enable advancement.