I spent over four years working on social innovation and resilience strategies for cities and participating in global city networks. During this time, I lived in Athens and Thessaloniki, and visited several European cities. This inspired me to begin a graduate program in Urban Studies in the fall of 2019. Most of my time in this three-year program coincided with the pandemic and the physical distancing or stay-at-home safety measures. In this context, I spent a lot of time reading and writing about urban life and environments – more time, I’m sure, than I would have spent under normal circumstances.
For the first year of the pandemic, I even kept a regular journal. Reading about urban issues and learning about cities around the world while being stuck in one place had me wishing I had kept a regular journal in the years when I was exploring and experiencing different cities.
At the same time, I began thinking about how to share my love of urban studies with my nieces and some of my friends’ kids who were in their middle and high school years, while supporting their own creativity and encouraging them to explore what interests them.
The result of all of this: writing prompts!
I created a collection of 12 writing prompts that are designed for teenagers and young adults in particular but great for anyone who wants to observe, explore, imagine and write about life in their neighborhood or city.
Download the writing prompts pages for free on the Resource page.
Enjoy observing, imagining, and writing!