My preferred grid system

[Birdin 10]

In my cities, I try to maintain a universal grid system.  The basic, repeatable unit is 16x16 tiles.  (So 4x4 of these units fit in a small city, 8x8 in a medium, and 16x16 in a large; also, the units line up across borders.)  An avenue runs across the exact middle of the unit in both directions; that is, the 8th and 9th row and 8th and 9th column are occupied by avenues.  Streets/roads occupy the 3rd and 14th rows and columns, so there's a 4-tile space between them and the avenue, and a 4-tile space between parallel streets in adjacent units.  Pairs of one-way roads are often made. 

Graphically, 4 units:

    ^         v ^         v         ^         v ^         v    

    ^         v ^         v         ^         v ^         v    

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    ^         v ^         v         ^         v ^         v    

    ^         v ^         v         ^         v ^         v    

    ^         v ^         v         ^         v ^         v    

    ^         v ^         v         ^         v ^         v    

< < + < < < < + + < < < < + < < < < + < < < < + + < < < < + < <

> > + > > > > + + > > > > + > > > > + > > > > + + > > > > + > >

    ^         v ^         v         ^         v ^         v    

    ^         v ^         v         ^         v ^         v    

    ^         v ^         v         ^         v ^         v    

    ^         v ^         v         ^         v ^         v    

< < + < < < < + + < < < < + < < < < + < < < < + + < < < < + < <

    ^         v ^         v         ^         v ^         v    

    ^         v ^         v         ^         v ^         v    

    ^         v ^         v         ^         v ^         v    

    ^         v ^         v         ^         v ^         v    

> > + > > > > + + > > > > + > > > > + > > > > + + > > > > + > >

    ^         v ^         v         ^         v ^         v    

    ^         v ^         v         ^         v ^         v    

    ^         v ^         v         ^         v ^         v    

    ^         v ^         v         ^         v ^         v    

< < + < < < < + + < < < < + < < < < + < < < < + + < < < < + < <

> > + > > > > + + > > > > + > > > > + > > > > + + > > > > + > >

    ^         v ^         v         ^         v ^         v    

    ^         v ^         v         ^         v ^         v    

    ^         v ^         v         ^         v ^         v    

    ^         v ^         v         ^         v ^         v    

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    ^         v ^         v         ^         v ^         v    

    ^         v ^         v         ^         v ^         v    

Of course, allowances must be made for buildings larger than 4x4 tiles.  I generally improvise, though there are a few techniques I've come to prefer for specific buildings.  I'll share those if anyone asks. 

Once this pattern is repeated, I tend to think of the avenues as the boundaries of block groups, which are more prominent than the invisible "unit" boundaries as defined above.  There are nine 4x4-tile blocks in a block group.  Sometimes, however, I consolidate a one-way pair into another avenue, making six 6x4-tile blocks in a block group, or doing that in both dimensions, four 6x6-tile blocks in the block group.  And sometimes, in dense industrial areas, I only build the main grid avenues, making large 14x14 blocks of zoned land. 

The primary benefits of this system are as follows: 1) There is no need to adjust the grid to "fit" the edge of a city, as you always have just enough room for 2-tile-deep zoning along all edges; 2) The grid always lines up across city boundaries; 3) It's easy and not too expensive to build in a small city (use streets instead of roads, and just leave space to build the avenues later if you're really broke); 4) When fully built out with one-way roads, it has the capacity to handle reasonably dense development; though highways and mass transit should definitely be implemented when you've got multiple thousands of residents or jobs on each block.

[mistershnerples 0]

that is interesting. i have a thread similar to this ... about layouts and such in the city-buildings forum.

https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=23&threadid=91163&enterthread=y

but i tend to stick with 6x6's all over my city. no matter what type of zone, residential, commercial, or industrial. it seems just right. for the edge of the map though, i like leaving 4 tiles. i put rail on the very edge, and then i have a three tile leeway. i put rail stations, and city services, which is helpful when the middle of the city becomes packed with high-density and you can't really add that extra hospital without destroying something.

but how do you deal with your mass transit? i always put a bus stop and subway at every NE or whatever corner of the 6x6. it's fascinating what people do with their gridding.

[Birdin 10]

Originally posted by: mistershnerplesbut how do you deal with your mass transit? i always put a bus stop and subway at every NE or whatever corner of the 6x6. it's fascinating what people do with their gridding.quote>

Well, when it starts to get dense enough to overrun the grid with traffic, I start building highways, either by converting existing avenues, or running the highways down the middle of blocks.  At this stage of development, I can usually find a path for a highway that doesn't require the bulldozing of tons of high-rises.  Buses are also a common tactic in my cities.  Here's where the Roadtop Mass Transit mod helps a lot.  Placement of stops varies.  Finally, if the need exists and I have the budget for it, subways.  Sometimes I use el-rail in less-dense cities adjoining cities that use subways.  That of course usually requires some demolition. 

In case you're wondering about the life experiences that led to this style, I grew up (and still live) in central Ohio, where for decades, development was allowed with little resistance, and little responsibility to help upgrade the transportation network.  Then in 2001 I went through DFW on the way to and from Mexico, and I saw developments being built that included 4-lane divided avenues, some of which just ended in empty fields, surely to be extended by the developer of the next land tract.  So when Rush Hour arrived and avenues were an option, I quickly learned that it's easier and cheaper to build avenues into the grid from the beginning, rather than expand roads when they go over capacity.  Because they do go over capacity quickly. 

[patfirefghtr 160]

interesting idea's here...

[ssc4k 1]

i do most of mine like this

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