# Creating Your City, Part 2



## fieldsofdreams (Sep 21, 2012)

It looks like I've received tons of wonderful replies on my original poll question about creating your ideal city -- particularly "if you were to create your own city (from scratch), what would be your greatest priority to make it successful?". (Link here)

This time, I will take this question on another level: instead of choosing one, you get to choose what you want to develop or build (a.k.a. multiple choice-style) in your city. It's something like this: if you happen to know or play SimCity, what would you like to build in your ideal city? 

What makes this different from the previous poll is that, with this question, you get to choose what you want to have in it, instead of choosing just one priority. However, here's the catch: I will not go with the obvious "we want to build a city hall at a particular site" or "we want to develop a dump site far from my residential areas" because it can cause problems with users, especially enticing fights, which I want to avoid in this thread. Plus, such features are already obvious, so I am not going to include them: instead, I would provide alternatives, such as solar power plants, waste-to-power facilities, recycling centers, mixed-use developments, and the like.

So, here's the question:

*If you were to develop your own city or downtown area (out of scratch), what would you like to develop or build in it?*

SSC rules and policies apply, so keep your cool when answering this thread.


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## poshbakerloo (Jan 16, 2007)

Mixed use development I think is important in order to stop the pressure from people all moving from one place to another, its an area is mixed use then people will need to travel to a variety of different areas rather than all being funnelled to the same place.

Also for aesthetic reasons, I think tall buildings are pretty cool to have in the centre of the city. I would have them because of that, but I don't think they add much to the function.


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## fieldsofdreams (Sep 21, 2012)

poshbakerloo said:


> Mixed use development I think is important in order to stop the pressure from people all moving from one place to another, its an area is mixed use then people will need to travel to a variety of different areas rather than all being funnelled to the same place.
> 
> Also for aesthetic reasons, I think tall buildings are pretty cool to have in the centre of the city. I would have them because of that, but I don't think they add much to the function.


That would be a great and novel thing to do. The big challenge would be you'd be fighting against developers who might want to build low-density housing with no mixed-use development... but mixed-use development and zones actually help improve an area's desirability to live in because people will get to wherever they want by foot or bike or even transit, lessening dependence on cars.


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## CNB30 (Jun 4, 2012)

fieldsofdreams said:


> That would be a great and novel thing to do. The big challenge would be you'd be fighting against developers who might want to build low-density housing with no mixed-use development... but mixed-use development and zones actually help improve an area's desirability to live in because people will get to wherever they want by foot or bike or even transit, lessening dependence on cars.


There would be lots of lots of mix use. Low density would be illegal in my perfect city. The outer ring of development would be something along the lines of brownstones, or brick town-homes, still with mixed use.

Obviously i would want a very centralized city with beautiful ornamented buildings and skyscrapers, something like NYC or London.


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## poshbakerloo (Jan 16, 2007)

fieldsofdreams said:


> That would be a great and novel thing to do. The big challenge would be you'd be fighting against developers who might want to build low-density housing with no mixed-use development... but mixed-use development and zones actually help improve an area's desirability to live in because people will get to wherever they want by foot or bike or even transit, lessening dependence on cars.


Low density housing would be used for the leafy suburbs, but within the city centre it would be high density, but mixed use.


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## fieldsofdreams (Sep 21, 2012)

CNB30 said:


> No mix use low density would be illegal in my perfect city. The outer ring of development would be something along the lines of brownstones, or brick town-homes, still with mixed use.
> 
> Obviously i would want a very centralized city with beautiful ornamented buildings and skyscrapers, something like NYC or London.


Oh, so you're looking into a style similar to those of European cities... How would that happen in the American context when such townhouses are built along main roads rather than on side streets as well? How would you layout your town design with all the brownstones and town homes?

At least we have something in common for a very centralized city.


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## fieldsofdreams (Sep 21, 2012)

poshbakerloo said:


> Low density housing would be used for the leafy suburbs, but within the city centre it would be high density, but mixed use.


Ah yes. What examples in London can I look into that fits your description somehow?


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## poshbakerloo (Jan 16, 2007)

fieldsofdreams said:


> Ah yes. What examples in London can I look into that fits your description somehow?


Well the whole of central London is mixed use. I'm not sure on individual buildings, although I know of a few which are hotels and offices etc


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## fieldsofdreams (Sep 21, 2012)

poshbakerloo said:


> Well the whole of central London is mixed use. I'm not sure on individual buildings, although I know of a few which are hotels and offices etc


Ah. What about areas close to and a little out of the M25?


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## CNB30 (Jun 4, 2012)

fieldsofdreams said:


> Oh, so you're looking into a style similar to those of European cities... How would that happen in the American context when such townhouses are built along main roads rather than on side streets as well? How would you layout your town design with all the brownstones and town homes?
> 
> At least we have something in common for a very centralized city.


I would have a system of broken up blocks and main avenues. Main Avenues would have more commercial and grand homes+apartments, The smaller streets would be foor the smaller row houses, sort of line in DC or NYC.

Actually, here is a good example of how blocks may be laid out


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## CNB30 (Jun 4, 2012)

fieldsofdreams said:


> Oh, so you're looking into a style similar to those of European cities


Actually, I was thinking more of a blend between early 20th century american cities and European, but both are similar anyway.


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## fieldsofdreams (Sep 21, 2012)

CNB30 said:


> Actually, I was thinking more of a blend between early 20th century american cities and European, but both are similar anyway.


Oooh I'd love to see what your design would look like. I hope that will work with new town developments because I would like to see walkable towns and cities, and I would love to see cities grow sustainably.


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## Urban Legend (Mar 13, 2007)

* Effective public transportation network
* Electricity provided from renewable sources
* More efficient recycling and disposal of garbage
* Tall skyscrapers-
* Lots of open spaces (also golf courses)


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## fieldsofdreams (Sep 21, 2012)

Urban Legend said:


> * Effective public transportation network
> * Electricity provided from renewable sources
> * More efficient recycling and disposal of garbage
> * Tall skyscrapers-
> * Lots of open spaces (also golf courses)


 if you could choose from one of them as your hallmark project, what would it be, and why?


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## BringMe (May 7, 2011)

For me is a mix of everything

A little bit of everything

Architecture: a little bit of london,paris,madrid,amsterdam,new york,barcelona,milan,rome

transportation: Similar to amsterdam


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## jbkayaker12 (Nov 8, 2004)

Landfills inside the city center preferrably next to the commercial districts and city park.


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## fieldsofdreams (Sep 21, 2012)

BringMe said:


> For me is a mix of everything
> 
> A little bit of everything
> 
> ...


You sure you can do that?  That would mean bringing in so many of the world's best architects in your city... but where will the city's "soul" be?

As for transportation, I'd love to see the trams, trains, and buses running frequently and efficiently.


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## fieldsofdreams (Sep 21, 2012)

jbkayaker12 said:


> Landfills inside the city center preferrably next to the commercial districts and city park.


What do you mean by landfills? Do you mean the actual dump, or in-fill development (i.e. offices in older factories, apartments in former office buildings)?


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## CNB30 (Jun 4, 2012)

I think that i would focus on either the quaint downtown area, or the transportation network


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## BringMe (May 7, 2011)

fieldsofdreams said:


> You sure you can do that?  That would mean bringing in so many of the world's best architects in your city... but where will the city's "soul" be?
> 
> As for transportation, I'd love to see the trams, trains, and buses running frequently and efficiently.


of course you can! today some buildings are built with traditional architecture 

you just have to respect designs and materials


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## fieldsofdreams (Sep 21, 2012)

Let me resurrect this thread, with a new question related to this:

*What would make a downtown area more appealing, if given a chance to either create one or revive one?*

If possible, provide examples of fine downtown areas that can be modeled.


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## fieldsofdreams (Sep 21, 2012)

Let me revive this thread with a new question:

*If you were to develop a city, how much of your city would have pedestrian and/or transit-only avenues or roadways? If so, how would you design them?*


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## Ocean Railroader (Jun 18, 2011)

If I where to make a downtown area more appealing I would first have to look at what makes people come to it or want to live in. Such as are there restaurants that make them want to come down there how easy is it to get in and out of the city. Are there any zoning codes that prevent the city from changing with the times.


Also I would look at the crime rate and the types of crimes and make punishments that would scare criminals into not wanting to do them. Such as if you rob someone at gun point downtown you have to dig out the mud in the city's canals in the freezing cold. Or if you vandalize the city's pedestrian mall by spray painting over it with gang sines you have to pick up trash for the next few months. The idea with these hard punishments is that this is our city and we are not going to be sleep at the wheel and let it rot and you thugs take over.


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