My Regional Development Models

[Goody]

When I am building a region I like to test out different development styles or types. There are three main styles which I use. American Sprawl. European Density. Asian Hyper Density. I like to see firstly how easy the different types are to build and maintain. I enjoy using the range the game gives you and naturally I enough the varied challenges and aesthetic.

So I will start out with my favorite and most commonly used style which is The European one.



The over all view. Note the farmland and fairly dense and diverse city center which is fully covered by rail. (If anyone wants to see transit stuff let me know) The country and urban areas are clearly defined which saves both to do that they do best.



City Center



Secondary Center



Typical Housing stock



Moving into the country side.



The American Model



Low density with pockets of denser uses- highways and roads are abundant. Transit is lacking. (Note this city is still growing outward... I just haven't gotten to its outer limits yet)



City Center. I find it hard to build cities like this because I never lived in one, and really don't fully understand how they might work in a larger context. Regardless its hard to maintain these cities without some urban-ness and transit.



Secondary center





Typical housing stock.



Asian Model



Perhaps somewhat surprisingly this is the most boring to me. It takes some planning to cram in what you need- but really it takes more time then anything to get the city looking like this. This one is still rather young and will fill out even more if I care to take the time to baby it. It doesn't have the coziness which can be achieved in the other forms. This model is heavily dependent on subways and ferries.



Typical Housing and Office stock. The entire city is high density, and its more or less zoned mixed and let to grow as it will.



Outer limits.



So what do you guys think. Any suggestions?

[Goody]

...well no joke kids you wont be seeing any of these cities again. My sim city crashed for the second time... and all the default cities are back and all of mine are gone.

[WESTSEATTLEGUY]

I like your Euro cities. I think they need more work though. Download more costum content from ST. I also think your American cities are nice, they just need to be planned out better, also your Asian cities need improvement. You should download more Asian block sets and other city block sets to help your asian cities look nicer. Just some suggestions.

[Goody]

^^Thanks.

I try to down different sorts of things to give verity. Mainly larger buildings- as smaller ones tend to get lost in the mix anyhow, and a row house is more or less a row house so there isn't much need for a great verity of them. I have perhaps 100 different buildings in addition to the Maxis ones. I don't dare down load to many more because game play is already getting somewhat slow. Hence I use medium city tiles. As for Asian buildings I refuse to down load them because then they will pop up in my other cities and I don't want to have to continually delete them. And I don't plop buildings they are all grown. so its makes it harder.

As for the American cities, I admit I don't build them often and haven't really got much insight as to plan them better. I built the highways first then the City center, and just moved out in a quick somewhat boring fashion. Attempting to imitate real life.

Thanks for the tips . Perhaps I'll post a new region once I get one started again.

[wisla_krakow]

Hmm these are interesting. What I would like to know is how you are able to use so many streets instead of roads and avenues in your main centers. Even if I build a very transit friendly city I can never use streets in the urban areas, and I also have to use many avenues.