Decide the Fate: Vega-Altair

[UltraGIR XL 3]

VEGA-ALTAIR

'Tis my new city journal, which I hope everyone here would enjoy giving insite on...

I've a lovely region of  Altair, an area positioned on a temperate saltwater strait between the two major oceans near SimNation (The strait's only about five or six miles long, really... consider the straits between Spain and Africa.), with a maintanable population hovering around two-million happy sims.

The region's main cities, however, consist of three coastal strongholds: Lyra-Altair (Otherwise known as 'Altair.), Vega-Altair (Simply Vega.), and Verona-Altair (Simply Verona.). Altair (Lyra-Altair.)  serves as its current "downtown."

(Lyra-Altair at sunset.)

This journal, however, focuses on the fate of my once-farmland extension, known as Vega.

Now, Vega was once all farmland-- it served as the agricultural sector of my region-- but times've changed, and with the small addition of a commercial zone (To manage distribution of produce, of course.), the city's size had grown from 968 residents to nearly 50,000 in just 10 years.

Now for my dilemma... do I halt growth in Vega before the farmland's all been eaten up by development? Or do I promote further development  of commerce and services? Or, even more drastic, do I reclaim the developed land and rebuild Vega's farming empire? Please, help me decide.

Below I show the districts and state of my city.

I feel it's only natural to begin with the downtown. Once a humble plaza with a printing press,  10-years time'd transformed  the garden community into the city's most fashionable district. With two distinct skyscrapers, it serves to be the busiest portion of  the city, including the region's highway-avenue junction and the bus roundabout.

Just  south of the midtown-downtown, after a stretch of condominiums, is the central Finance zone, with a modest size stock market (Which I regret placing-- it really provoked development.) and the notable Transamerica Pyramid (Freshly pillaged from San-Fran, thank you.), hedged with department stores and insurance offices. Row-houses and upscale tenemants can also be found here.

Vega is probably most noted for its vigor towards the arts. Home to two opera houses and several record companies, I had always intended for Vega to create a secure haven for SimNation's artists and eccentrics. By overfunding the education and environmental committees, the Height-Ashway district (Just northeast of the downtown area.) had attracted the artsy crowds since Vega's birth (And I intend that it stays this way.).

Ah. The cradle of the city's reputation as a resort town. Once a shipyard used to mobilize the wares of the northern farms, Avenue Anastasia was engulfed by a flood of business when the area's various docks had been purchased by the city to build a proposed arts university over the exististing piers. Within two years, a gallery of resorts and inns had opened along the avenue facing the beach and university. It remains least desirable to residents, but provides a steady stream of jobs for the lower-income workers, making Vega a number-two city for underpaid sims (Next to the flagship-city, Altair.)

Another pride of Vega is its massive middle-class population. Since development, the amount of middle-income residents has nearly quadrupled, and, as the market suspects, will continue to grow, as long as medium and high-wealth white-collared jibs are available. If the city were to revert back to farming, many suspect the middle-income populi will have no place to go, considering the fact that the region has either upper-management  or resort jobs available.

And finally... the dwindling farmlands of the hillside. The Romanov Villa (The farmlands' nickname.) has lost all of its coastal holds since Vega's commercial boom, and has been slowly (Yet surely.) abandoning as coastal development continues.

UPDATE,  XV.VII.MMVI:

Due to a recent onslaught of traffic problems, the City Council has proposed plans to introduce a subway system to the city. Supporters say it'll calm down the commute problems from houses on the east and west sides of the city without having to demolish neighbourhoods for a highway. Opponents, however, say that the subway will attract more people to the city, causing further development of the surrounding farmlands and forests. What should City Council vote to do?

[UltraGIR XL 3]

Edit: I'll work on enlarging the images.

[patfirefghtr 160]

great start, pics are good as is but yea larger would be better lol and as my vote i say let vega grow as it seems to be doing well with the influx

[UltraGIR XL 3]

Update: New piccers, yep.

[Constantina 5]

Beautification, please.

[UltraGIR XL 3]

Beautify the city?

[collgab 10]

good start!, keep ti up!!!

[acidbomb2k4 0]

id have to say let it grow. and i think id work on the transportation systems. not that im against a gridded city (most of the major cities around here are big sqares), but id add some more sfficient means (avenues and such). anyway thats my 2 cents.

[hamsterTK 93]

wow! thats a cool city!

its only natural that it will continue to grow outwards and eat up the farmland. It will be interesting to see how the city grows faster than the roads and highways can be extended, and the traffic problems that will ensue. ...

[Cjah 15]

Originally posted by: UltraGIR XL Beautify the city?quote>

 

That'd kick alot of ass if you did that!

but really a few trees and a few parks raises the value of the land and makes the peoples happy aswell as gains many comments from your readers!

All in all good start and I like that view....but maybe divide the farms by trees or something....

[topcliff 1]

Let's STEX this baby up! You need a LOT fo yo info! TopCliff

[UltraGIR XL 3]

Originally posted by: hamsterTK wow! thats a cool city!

its only natural that it will continue to grow outwards and eat up the farmland. It will be interesting to see how the city grows faster than the roads and highways can be extended, and the traffic problems that will ensue. ...quote>

Actually, I kept the lots right next to the bus stations (Every two blocks.) open, so I could add Subway stations. I was planning on ading one...

...but right now I'm having some RAM poblems: random lock-ups.

So... I'm getting mixed responses...

[UltraGIR XL 3]

Originally posted by: hamsterTK wow! thats a cool city!

its only natural that it will continue to grow outwards and eat up the farmland. It will be interesting to see how the city grows faster than the roads and highways can be extended, and the traffic problems that will ensue. ...quote>

Yeah... For prevention, I've maintained it growing along the coast...

...which, in hinesight, wasn't a very good idea, because it strains commute.

[UltraGIR XL 3]

**UPDATE, JULY 16th, 2006:
    A new article about the middle class has been added, as well as important new legislation about a subway system. Input is needed.

[Sim shady 12]

cool city! i say allow expansion into the farm lands, but limit it and mix suburbs into it

[Tommy_Vercetti3 3]

Expand and limit. Looks good.