Imaginative design setting
Modern Town
An imagined modern town with real buildings. Open any of its 36 buildings and systems to learn why towns need them, how they are built and how they serve the people who live there.
- 36 places
- 4 vehicles
- 8 people
- 83 photos of real places
- Guided tour: Modern neighborhoods
Look around the city
Select any building, person or vehicle to open its page. Everything is also listed below.
Tower crane
Skyscraper
Residential tower
Clock tower
Lighthouse
Fire lookout tower
Capitol building
Office building
Apartment building
Stadium
Church
Memorial
Town hall
Public library
School
Science center and observatory
Shops with homes above
Cultural center
Health clinic
Community center
Recreation center
Older brick house
Family house
Suburban house
Warehouse
Corner store
Public art
Public square and fountain
Treehouse playground
Sports field
City park
Community garden
Outdoor gathering circle
Building materials
Family car
Taxi
Pickup truck
Delivery van
Neighbor out walking
Office worker
Teen with a backpack
Runner
Older neighbor
Dog walker
Construction worker
Carpenter
Point at anything on the map to learn what it is.
This town is imagined, not a specific real place. The facts on each page are about real buildings and systems and list their sources.
All 40 places and vehicles
Homes and neighborhoods
Where people live, from houses with yards to towers in the sky.
- Family houseA detached house with a porch and garden, built for one household. It is the most common home in many countries.
- Suburban houseA house with a driveway and garage on the edge of a city, designed around travel by car.
- Older brick houseAn older home that can be repaired and upgraded to use far less energy, instead of being knocked down.
- Apartment buildingA building of several floors with many homes stacked together, sharing walls, stairs and services.
- Residential towerA tall glass tower of apartments that fits hundreds of homes onto a small plot of land.
- Shops with homes aboveA building with shops on the street and homes upstairs, keeping streets lively day and night.
Government and public services
How a town makes decisions and looks after people's health.
- Town hallThe home of local government, where elected leaders meet and residents get public services.
- Capitol buildingA domed building where elected lawmakers for a state or country meet to debate and pass laws.
- Health clinicA neighborhood clinic where people see a doctor or nurse, get vaccines and stay healthy before small problems grow.
- Clock towerA tall tower with a clock that everyone could see, from the days before every person carried the time.
Streets, water and safety
The systems most people only notice when they stop working.
Streets and crosswalksStreets are a town's largest public space. Their design decides whether walking, cycling and crossing feel safe.
Water systemHidden pipes, pumps and treatment plants bring clean water to every tap and carry dirty water safely away.- LighthouseA tower with a powerful light that warns ships of rocks and guides them safely into harbor.
- Fire lookout towerA tall tower in a forest or on a hill where a watcher scans the land for smoke from wildfires.
Learning and culture
Places to learn, explore and share ideas, free or nearly free.
- Public libraryFree books, internet, study space and help for everyone, with no one asked to pay at the door.
- SchoolA building where children learn, make friends and get support, and often a hub for the whole community.
- Science center and observatoryA museum where visitors learn by doing experiments, with a telescope dome for looking at the night sky.
- Cultural centerA place where a community shares its traditions, art, food, language and history with neighbors and visitors.
Work and shopping
Where people earn a living and get the things they need.
- Corner storeA small shop within walking distance selling food and everyday items, a lifeline for many neighborhoods.
- Office buildingA building of desks, meeting rooms and computers where many people do their jobs.
- SkyscraperA very tall building made possible by steel frames and safe elevators, and a symbol of the modern city.
- WarehouseA large shed where goods are stored, sorted and sent out, the hidden link between factories and shops.
Gathering and community
Spaces that bring neighbors together and help them remember.
- Community centerA shared building for classes, clubs, meetings, celebrations and support, open to the whole neighborhood.
- Public square and fountainAn open square with a fountain, seating and flowers where people meet, rest and celebrate.
- ChurchA church with a tall spire, where Christians gather to worship God, and which often serves the whole town too.
- Outdoor gathering circleA ring of benches around a fire pit in a park, a simple place for stories, music and outdoor lessons.
- MemorialA monument that helps a community remember people and events from its past.
- Public artStatues, sculptures and murals in public places that anyone can enjoy, free of charge.
Parks, sport and play
Green space, games and exercise, for health and for fun.
- City parkTrees, grass, paths and water in the middle of town: free space to play, relax and cool down.
- Treehouse playgroundA play space with climbing, hiding and building, where children take healthy risks and use their imagination.
- Sports fieldAn open field with goals and lights where people play soccer and other team sports.
- StadiumA huge venue where tens of thousands of fans watch sport and concerts together.
- Recreation centerA building with gym equipment and classes where people of every age can exercise, whatever the weather.
- Community gardenShared land where neighbors grow vegetables, fruit and flowers together.
Building the town
The machines and materials that make modern buildings possible.
Vehicles and getting around
How people and goods move around the city.
- Family carThe everyday car changed how towns are built: wide roads, parking lots, drive-throughs and suburbs.
TaxiA car you hire for one trip. Taxis help people who don't own a car, and many cities paint them yellow.- Pickup truckA truck with an open cargo bed, used by builders, farmers and tradespeople to carry tools and materials.
Delivery vanA van that brings parcels to the door. As online shopping grows, delivery vans fill more and more streets.
Keep exploring
Compare all six worlds See all Modern Town artwork
Games with this world: Map hunt · World sort · Shadow match · Picture puzzle