Setting Up Infrastructure before zoning?

[Macdaddy4738 0]

Is this how most of you guys do it? Im thinking of starting a REAL city, rather then the random mash of stuff ive currently been building.

Do you guys lay rail, road, water, stuff like that BEFORE you zone?

[BananaPhone1 2]

I usually lay rail, highways and seafronts to start and plan out where I could build avenues and mass transit later. Also be sure to leave some area for airports.

[Macdaddy4738 0]

is there any way to lay a place marker, where zones WONT develop at all, to keep space open for something?

[opbravo 0]

you can always mark off places using the sign post tool. that way you can remind yourself to leave certain areas open for future use.

[Mulefisk 15]

I always lay out the main roads before I start building.

I find that it makes everything come together more realistically. If I don't lay out anything I find that I often end up with mane different areas that don't really hang together. It's kinda like writing a book. If you don't work out the storyline before beginning to write, your book will most likely be full of plotholes. I don't know if that made sense, but you probably get what I mean.

[Macdaddy4738 0]

im probably going to open a can of worms here...but what is the preferred grid size?

I was doing 6x4 last night..it seemed to work okay..but what is the one most people use?

[AtkinsSJ_ 7]

6x6 has been tested and found to be the 'magic' grid size. However, I don't tend to grid at all. I prefer the look of more 'organic' cities.

Something I've been meaning to try is to build two main cities, set a highway between them, and build cities at various points along it.

[Macdaddy4738 0]

okay sounds good. What do I do with space inbetween the grid? Nothing?

Im looking for some good retaining walls to put to dress up my sunken highway (I actually managed to build one last night! Complete with multiple bridges and on ramps) Any help on that one? Ive searched the Stex or whatnot and cant find anything besides Jeronji stuff, but the stex doesnt appear to have some of the dependant packs.

I also cant figure out what the heck prop packs do. Do they spawn randomly? I cant plop any of them so this is what im assuming.

Also, what are some good park packs to snag?

[Normandy 0]

Apparently, the dependencies for the packs you are referring to aren't needed...

[Sketchley 0]

I tend to lay rail first, followed by roads/avenues providing the links between the "downtown" and the neighbouring cities. After that, it's figuring out where to best plant the power plant, and then stringing a power line to where I decide the downtown to start at. I tend to start small, with the average lot size being 1x1, and the city surrounded by farms. Bus stops are placed roughly every 5 to 6 squares.

Hospitals, water, fire, police, (in that order) and other forms of mass transit are placed later, as need/demand/mayor whim decree.

When I go back to rezone my downtowns, I tend to zone 6x6 blocks. I also alternate between laying avenues and converting a 3x3 area of the block into a park/mass transit hub, and laying one-way roads with a 1 tile space; placing mass transit at the intersections and parks in the rest of the space, thus reserving the entire 6x6 block for zoning (usually C and R, I gets a whole different arrangment of rails, roads, MT, and parks.)

[hawkpride147 1]

i used to do that but i recently have started a region (New London) with just a small main street and let it grow from there...i planned for a GLR line down main street and where the highways should go. other than that, i let development dictate the look and feel of the region. it lead to a downtown on the river, a major university on the main street, a town square district, and it gradually grew...it is some what gridded, but to me it has a true big city feel...kind of like chicago...

[_MostlyHarmless 17]

I like to build all infrastructure first: roads, rail, el, etc. When I zone, nothing develops the way I want it too, at least I have fun buildings the road networks.

[tommiej 0]

i build highways, rail and avenues, sometimes EL-rail, GLR, HSR , because those things are the hardest to change when everything is developed (no one wants to demolish that love stage 8 building)

and when those things are build, development can start. more organic then grid, but sometimes grids are more usefull, for the Paris buildings for example.

[Juan Rico 0]

Actually, I pause the game to stop growth and build the Infrastructure and zone it too.

[muffinpunk787 1]

I have the game paused when I go to build infastructure, but I only built it in small chunks at a time, then I zone those chunks and then I hit the play button. I find that this allows for the most realistic approach. I then work around the map until the whole map is covered and then I will go back and fix problem/add more if needed trying to build around what is already there.

[J4y_97 0]

Originally posted by: Macdaddy4738

Im looking for some good retaining walls to put to dress up my sunken highway (I actually managed to build one last night! Complete with multiple bridges and on ramps) Any help on that one? Ive searched the Stex or whatnot and cant find anything besides Jeronji stuff, but the stex doesnt appear to have some of the dependant packs.quote>

I'm having the same problem. I need retaining walls for my sunken highways. I found the same stuff you did, is it true that they don't really need the dependant packs???

[Curtis78 2]

I always make highways and mainroads first. Then I zone. I have the time stopped so I don't have to pay the monthly cost for the stuff while doing this.

[flame1396 9]

Step 1: Cheat until you can't cheat no more (money)

Step 2: DOWNLOAD! the NAM is important along with custom buildings.

Step 3: Transport first! You have that down.