User blog comment:Thedoucheinthenorth/Should a city-sized Winterhold have been in Skyrim?/@comment-5469467-20121105052909

The Great Collapse seemed a bit convenient at first, especialy if they didn't have to build an entire city. But I think the fact that Wintehold is basically a remnant does actually stand out from the other cities. Each city has its own distinguishing features, and Winterhold's is that it was nearly destroyed.