What if Phoenix, Arizona were to become a coastal city?

Since Phoenix is currently landlocked in the interior of Arizona, it would need to be *moved* from the surrounding mountains and hills. This would require a large, open waterbody, such as a sea, to be "imported" from somewhere else. This sea might be part of an ocean, a lake, or even an inland sea (which would be quite different from a regular sea).<br><br>**Ocean:** If Phoenix were to become an oceanfront city, Phoenix would have to be *moved* to the coast of Arizona. However, Arizona doesn't currently have a coastline. The closest ocean is the Pacific Ocean, approximately 400 miles to the west. Arizona has a border with the Colorado River, which flows into the Gulf of California, but this river is much narrower than an ocean and cannot provide the same coastal experience as a large body of water like an ocean.<br><br>**Sea/Lake:** If Phoenix were to become a coastal city in a man-made sea or lake, it would require significant engineering efforts. It would need to be excavated from the surrounding mountains and hills, and then filled with water. This could be done by building a dam to divert water from a nearby river or by pumping water from a distant source. However, creating such a large body of water in the middle of a desert region would require a lot of resources and infrastructure, and it might not be feasible or sustainable in the long term.<br><br>**Other options:** There are other ways to make Phoenix a coastal city without physically moving it to the coast or creating a sea or lake. For example:<br><br>* Artificial coastline: It's possible to create an artificial coastline in Phoenix by building a large, man-made structure that mimics the experience of being by the ocean. This could be done by constructing a large, elevated platform or a series of interconnected islands in a nearby river or lake. The platform or islands could be designed to resemble a coastline, with features like beaches, cliffs, and coves.<br>* Virtual coastline: Another option is to create a virtual coastline in Phoenix. This could be done by using immersive technologies like virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) to simulate the experience of being by the ocean. For example, a person could wear a VR headset and feel like they are standing on a beach, even if they are actually in the middle of the desert.<br><br>In conclusion, making Phoenix a coastal city would require significant engineering efforts, resources, and infrastructure. However, there are different ways to achieve this, ranging from physically moving the city to the coast and creating a sea or lake to creating artificial or virtual coastlines.