Need help with city development

[843 0]

Hi all, I'm new to this game, so I haven't grasped fully all the concepts of city-building as well as efficiency in-game. I also have constant problems with roads...

For a start, I've got a problem with pollution. I developed my city to the point where there is demand for HT jobs, but the amount of pollution keeps them away. I've tried planting trees, building parks, run ordinances, but they seem to have little effect. The major sources of pollution are the Waste to Power Plant and the Industrial Zones. I don't know of any alternative for the waste disposal other than the plant. My city is small so I can't afford much landfill, besides I think landfill will just keep accumulating overtime.

At one point in the game, I removed the industrial zones for awhile. This reduced the amount of pollution and I HT jobs start to appear once I rezone, but they disappear after some time since the pollution started spreading throughout the whole city.

As for transportation, I've no idea why nobody uses the bus stations, and why  is my passenger train station not getting any customers. I have a big problem with my road layouts; they are very messy. I slotted one-way roads on junctions whenever there are congestions. I've seen screen shots of magnificent road layouts by the people here and they put mine to shame. Though since my city is small I can't use stuff like the clover and such. Any suggestion for an efficient road layout?

At this moment, residents are becoming unemployed, indicated by the no job symbols. I'm not sure what is causing them though.

I also start getting Sims Mental Midgets issue. I've no idea why is the education level declining, just when the average E.Q. was around 160.

http://i16.tinypic.com/68790mh.jpg - city view

http://i12.tinypic.com/669ymw4.jpg - zone view

I hope that wasn't too long-winded. Any help at all is kindly appreciated and of course, tips and tricks at this stage of development are very welcome. Thanks in advance

[MrFingers 0]

Originally posted by: 843 Hi all, I'm new to this game, so I haven't grasped fully all the concepts of city-building as well as efficiency in-game. I also have constant problems with roads...

For a start, I've got a problem with pollution. I developed my city to the point where there is demand for HT jobs, but the amount of pollution keeps them away. I've tried planting trees, building parks, run ordinances, but they seem to have little effect. The major sources of pollution are the Waste to Power Plant and the Industrial Zones. I don't know of any alternative for the waste disposal other than the plant. My city is small so I can't afford much landfill, besides I think landfill will just keep accumulating overtime.

quote>

try knocking up the taxes for the dirty industry.  pollution takes a while to leave and you've got a small map which makes it difficult to work around.  Always consign the dirty industry to the corner of the map so as much of the pollution as possible just runs off the side of the map.  surrounding your industrial zone with a thick buffer zone of trees (say 6 tiles wide) also helps alot.

Ultimaltey I would recommend starting a new city and taking what you've learned from this one.  try putting the polluting things in one city, and having the sims commute from the city next door.

At one point in the game, I removed the industrial zones for awhile. This reduced the amount of pollution and I HT jobs start to appear once I rezone, but they disappear after some time since the pollution started spreading throughout the whole city.

As for transportation, I've no idea why nobody uses the bus stations, and why  is my passenger train station not getting any customers. I have a big problem with my road layouts; they are very messy. I slotted one-way roads on junctions whenever there are congestions. I've seen screen shots of magnificent road layouts by the people here and they put mine to shame. Though since my city is small I can't use stuff like the clover and such. Any suggestion for an efficient road layout?

quote>

the bus stations need to be right outside their houses, and right outside where the work.  the mass transit has to link a sims journey from start to finish.  I also expect your rail is not being used because it isn't going anywhere particularly useful.

As far as road design goes, you could make more use of avenues.  you need to start with a major road from where people live to where people work, and then build onto and around it.  the most important thing is to make sure you are not short cutting a large capacity road with a small one, sims always take the most direct route.

At this moment, residents are becoming unemployed, indicated by the no job symbols. I'm not sure what is causing them though.

quote>

this could be any number of things, you need to show us some screenshots of your graphs first.

I also start getting Sims Mental Midgets issue. I've no idea why is the education level declining, just when the average E.Q. was around 160.

quote>

Ok, that is because educated sims are leaving and being replaced with poor sims.  I think I now know why you are getting unemployment.  the rich sims need high paying jobs and require low pollution.  your high paying jobs and the rich sims are all suffering from your pollution.

Here is my suggested solution;

pick a neighbouring city.  take your original city and build a road/rail network into the new city.  don't be afraid to knock down buildings and roads, it is for their long term good.  then build the new city buying power and selling garbage to the old one.  don't place polluting industry, if you need HT, make sure you raise taxes for the other industries.

I hope that wasn't too long-winded. Any help at all is kindly appreciated and of course, tips and tricks at this stage of development are very welcome. Thanks in advance quote>

[843 0]

Thanks, so pollution is indeed the problem. I need some tips and recommendations on sharing between neighboring countries though, such as:

-How can you effectively share power and water

-How can you send your garbage away for that other city to process?

-Does a 'dirty' city need water at all?

-I have to build HT industries in the 'clean' city, right?

You mentioned how I need to locate my bus stations where people come and go. How do you find out where do they go to work?

I've no problem starting a new city though, since this one is kind of out of control. Thanks a lot for your reply, it's very informational.

[MrFingers 0]

Originally posted by: 843 Thanks, so pollution is indeed the problem. I need some tips and recommendations on sharing between neighboring countries though, such as:

-How can you effectively share power and water

quote>

Connect a pipe/power grid into the next city.

-How can you send your garbage away for that other city to process?

quote>

This applies to buying/selling water and power too - go into the budget, and look up neighbourhood deals.

-Does a 'dirty' city need water at all?

quote>

without water you will not get buildings above 1/2 stories high.  I suggest selling water from the clean city into the dirty city.  producing water is not polluting, and this way you don't get the environmentalist prats shutting off your water supply.

-I have to build HT industries in the 'clean' city, right?

quote>

yep.

You mentioned how I need to locate my bus stations where people come and go. How do you find out where do they go to work?

quote>

assuming you have the rush hour expansion, in the bottom left there are two query buttons, one for looking at a building, and one for looking at travel routes.  to be honest though, as long as you plonk bus stops every 10 tiles in both your residential and your industry, it should work fine.

I've no problem starting a new city though, since this one is kind of out of control. Thanks a lot for your reply, it's very informational. quote>

quote>

[bbfan02 23]

Does anyone know which buildings should I plop in a city when there is a job shortage and like there is about 550,000 people in the city?

[843 0]

Thanks again for your input. Anyway, now that I've figured out how to manage a neighboring cities, I've got some more questions:

-are airports and seaports worth it, what do they do and can a city has nothing but specialized as an airport?

-when you setup an airport, do you need to build another airport in another city for arrival/departure purposes?

-what is the estimated maximum number of people a small city can hold? Mine is hardly going above 50k

-what are the uses of business rewards? Are they worth it?

-can cities share subways?

Thanks in advance, I'll be awaiting replies

[MrFingers 0]

lol, ok, I would suggest you look around here.

My original purpose was to help you with your city, but now you are asking questions to which the answers can be found easily yourself.

[843 0]

Wow, no wonder I couldn't find tutorials and references in a SC site... just because I didn't know what omnibus mean...

[bbfan02 23]

does anyone know how to grow a big city? Do you start out at low denstiy residential and commerical? or high residential and commerical?

[bbfan02 23]

does anyone know??????????????????