Graafsticht ... my vision on how a city should look

[theblademaster 1]

Hoi,

looking good, nice idea, of making the vinex location.

How are you planning to make the brige for tram 15?

if it is possible to make it into a BAT, it would look realy awsome

 

later

[Kwakelaar 92]

And suddenly the Vinex-locatie made it's entry to the Simtropolis site.
Interesting update NicolaiS, the description of the Vinex policiy could just as well have come straight from the ministry, or from the developers?
How you are going about recreating a Vinex locatie, very nice, and I am curious how this will develop futher.

[NicolaiS 8]

Another, quick, small update of Maaldam. These are some picture taken after designating residential and commercial area's ... and also one eye-candy picture of the Maalstroom

14.01

14.02

14.03

See ye all later today with more pictures and responses to the comments made ...

[NicolaiS 8]

RAILROAD SPECIAL!!!

 

 

Welcome all for the second time today. Working around the different area's I finally managed to get some train pictures. I think they look rather nice ... join me!

The 16:45 Intercity to Freespolder waits at platform three of Graafsticht Central Station

15.01

The 16:45 leaves Graafsticht CS

15.02

Fortunately these Intercity's are on different tracks

15.03

The 8:12 Intercity from Maaldam arrives in Graafsticht ( Stationswijk )

15.04

DISASTER!!!!!

15.05

End of special ... see you soon!

[mtbrocket 2]

Great update

-Dan

[pekeboo01 3]

I especially like the Railways. I have a real affinity for them for some reason. The street and road layouts are outstanding as well.  I liked the way you plan the areas for residential and Commercial somewhat together. It is looking real good!

A pleasure to visit........

[Kwakelaar 92]

We are being spoilt today, what a great railwaystation, nice update.

[NicolaiS 8]

Watching the trains in Graafsticht I took some snapshots of them from a more detailed point of view ...

This also gives me the option to explain that I will edit all my previous posts in the cj and add numbers to the pictures. Whenever somebody wants to know a detail ( which BAT for example ) now only the number has to be mentioned. EDIT: Pics are now all numbered

 

Thanks in advance for visiting Graafsticht.

 

One train heading toward Blijenburch and another coming from Maaldam:

16.01

Close-up of the Graafsticht - Maaldam Intercity:

16.02

And another one:

16.03

 

[oroen 0]

Such great details there. I learned something reading your CJ (about the vinex)... that's really quite interesting to see how land can be reclaimed in such a small area.

[Joshke 0]

Great city!

But I was wondering how it's possible to have both light rail and trains in your city? I searched the forum but there are so many threads about it that I couldn't really find what I was looking for.

[newyorkrunaway1 110]

all you have to do is use the GLR and the regular trains that maxis provides at the same time. Not hard.

 

oh yeah, and amzing work as usual. Great CJ!!!!! I get so many ideas from this one!

[FullStrenght 74]

Ver, VERY awesome! You are doing a very nice job! It feels so much like home

[NicolaiS 8]

Hello everybody, its nice to see so many comments. I will address the questions before we go to update 17

 

To Humbrol, Aleking, Rooker1, joaquin, mtbrocket, joshke, newyorkrunaway1 and fullstrenght:

 

Thank you all for visiting Graafsticht. I hope this cj will keep to be an inspiration or just fun.

 

To Jerebannus XVI:  

 

I see your question has been answered, thanks for the support.

 

To flrscf:

 

I hope I can inspire you with the next update.

 

To theblademaster:

 

I understand you know a bit about Ypenburch! I have no idea how to make a trambrug for line 15. There is not BAT available for trams (yet). I could only use the standard El-Train bridges and they don't look like the Hoornbrug at all. For that reason, and the lack of room on the map I skipped the tram to Vijverhof and Herengaard.

 

To kwakelaar:

 

I think this is indeed the very first time VINEX was mentioned on ST. Perhaps I am the first in trying to recreate it. I do know a bit about Volkshuisvesting because I have worked for a woningcorporatie voor 4 years, and although my company didn't own homes or apartments in the Den Haag VINEX area's but I learned a lot during those years about de volkshuisvesting in general.

 

Now I have finished this first experiment with VINEX in SC4, but I am not completely content with it. Near Graafsticht are soem larger city tiles available and I just might give it another try ... Graafsticht Zuid still needs to be build afterall.

 

To pekeboo1:

 

Very nice to see you again in Graafsticht. I hope you like this update too.

 

To Oroen:

 

Thanks for the compliment. as a former teacher and employer in the housing business I like to tell about the things I do in the game. Everytime I start a city I have a certain goal in mind. This cj gives me the option to share that with the community. Make sure to come back later as I will tell a bit about older Dutch building philosofies.

 

 

---

 

It is time for another update. Today we travel back to our VINEX suburb. We can finally see that houses and apartments are build. We will also take a closer look at the scenery, something which I think turned out rather well.

Recreation is a key word in the VINEX doctrine. People live near nature and this picture shows it. We take a look at Kosterpark, created between the banks of the Maalstroom. On the left hand you can see that a soccer club found a residence, namely SV Maaldam.

On the bottom right hand we find the local tennis club, open only when its not raining.

Picture 2 ( 17-03 ) shows that multiple options for transportation are created at the VINEX location. It is well-known that a lot of Dutch people prefer going to work on their bicycle. For that reason we find lots of cycle roads in VINEX locations.

So what we have captured in one picture is:
* Highway, for inter city commuters
* VINEX artery surrounding the location
* Local streets
* Cycleroads for close by commuters
* Bus stops

* and even pedestrians have enough space

A detail of the public transport in VINEX locations is that the busses only drive on the arteries. The bus stops are in walking distance from every house in the area. In the picture you can see the Bus Blocker, which prevents buses from driving through the quiet streets.

Most VINEX locations provide different housing option for multiple income groups. Usually you will find Apartment buildings at the outer ring of an area. In one building multiple price classes can be found. Within the inner ring you will find family homes some can be bought others are owned by housing corporations and can be rented ( subsidized).

In this picture ( 17-05 ) and the previous one we can see this diversity.

Zoomed out of almost the entire VINEX location:

Final detail. As mentioned about the buses ... I have created a limited access road+bridge between the two separated projects of the VINEX location. This bus lane enables the public transport to service both projects but refuses other road users (unless you car is big ( wide ) enough to avoid the car trap that is usually build in the road surface.

A last remark. I am not to happy about the way the game build the houses and apartments in the VINEX location. After I completed it I have done some more search work on the STEX and found additional homes and appartments. I will build another VINEX location in another part of Graafsticht and that one will look better then this one.

 

Thats it for update 17 ... see you next time.

[flrscf 0]

Very nice update! I learn alot about VINEX thanks to you. The layout of the streams, the roads and the trails are perfect. To let grow the right buildings is always difficult. I use the Tile Set Mod. Maybe you should do that too. No Maxis building, just the ones in your Plugins Folder. It's even possible to let just one building grow. You can ask me for more information if you want.

[FullStrenght 74]

Very nice update, but I think you're right. VINEX contains more repetition of buildings and styles. I hope that's what you're aiming for, to make it more realistic.

[debussyman 1,351]

Very interesting layout, I like the way you mix zones an the amount of them, also the use of parks and green areas is very clever.

[Kwakelaar 92]

Indeed the layout of the vinex is looking quite realistic, but the buildings that has started to grow is less of vinex than what I had expected. Maybe you should follow up on flrscf's advice.
Anyway nice update.

[____----____ 37]

still fantastic

i really like this cj.

 

 

AK

[NicolaiS 8]

Its that time of the day again ... update number 18 and if I may say so myself I have some nice pictures for this one.

But first I will address the comments.

 

To flrscf: 

 

You are absolutly right that using the modd would help me getting the right buildings at the right place. I have found the modd and played a bit with it in a test region. It works very nice and I am sure to use it when needed ( again ).

 

To FullStrenght:

 

Good to see you again. I was indeed aiming to get that real VINEX look, but wasn't completly successful. I will try again in another part of the city and will make sure that it will really look like a VINEX location.

 

To debussyman:

 

Thanks for stopping by and the nice comment. I really like creating parks and stuff and think that all city's should have many more in real life.

 

To Kwakelaar:

 

I am sorry I have disappointed you, but will make it up with VINEX 2

 

To aleking:

 

Good to see you again ... and I am sure you will like this update.

---

 

You probably remember I started this cj with showing pictures on the binnenstad van Graafsticht. After that we went up North to Het Oude Noorden, with the huge railroad station and the singels.

Next stop was Maaldam, a suburb VINEX style, North of Het Oude Noorden. If we continue our trip North we arrive in Droespolder, a little rural village with about 2000 inhabitants, some farms and one major industry: The CSX Abattoir.

Lets take the 9:10 Intercity from Graafsticht CS and head North!

Following the small river Droes we enter Droespolder.

Arriving at Droespolder station ... we also see a glimpse of the CSX Abattoir. Commuters come all the way from Het Oude Noorden to work here ... its a dirty job, but somebody got to do it.

After getting of the train we can walk, cycle or take the bus to the village. During the trip we will cross the Droes via the Lange brug.

The Kerkstraat is one of the two major streets in the village.

The second important street is the Dr. Welterstraat. In this street we find the local butcher ... middle left of the picture. With the Abattoir near the village the population is assured to buy their meat absolutly fresh. The present owner of the Butcher shop, mr. Havoc, lives above his shop.

Walking down the Kerkstraat we find these very nice homes of the more wealthy people living in Droespolder ... rumour says that also Mr. Vlakhaas of CSX Abbotoir lives in the Kerkstraat.

On the East border of the village we find De Oude Begraafplaats  ( old cemetary ).

Before the construction of the railroads ... in the late 19th century ... the products of the Abattoir were shipped to Graafsticht by boat. The old landing stage survived the coming of the railroad and the entire twentieth century ... nowadays its a museum.

...

I hope you enjoyed our short trip to Droespolder, and who knows, perhaps we will return one day.

[flrscf 0]

Nice update, Nicolai Serkanner! I see you already used the tile set mod. I didn't see a growable maxis building. But i have a few questions though. Where did you get the building in pic 18-04 and the maxis station with only 1 track? Thanx in advance. Anyway, I like the deail you put into your cities. Keep it up!

[NicolaiS 8]

Date: 6/6/2005 2:19:31 PM Author: flrscf Nice update, Nicolai Serkanner! I see you already used the tile set mod. I didn't see a growable maxis building. But i have a few questions though. Where did you get the building in pic 18-04 and the maxis station with only 1 track? Thanx in advance. Anyway, I like the deail you put into your cities. Keep it up!

quote>

The house in picture 18-04 is the landmark version of Simgoober's The Colonial, you can find it here:

 

https://www.simtropolis.com/stex/index.cfm?mode=files&filetype=BAT&Str=rls homes the colonial

 

 

The railroad station can be found on the Maxis site, here:

 

http://simcity.ea.com/exchange/lots/results.php?skiprows=&maxrows=10&startrow=71&maxrows_previous=10&lot_group_id=4865,4866,4864,5384,5385&next.x=12&next.y=9

 

Its the second from the top.

 

As a bonus: I finally managed to take a zoomed out picture without the gaming crashing. This is the entire village of Droespolder.

 

 

[sloppet 3]

good work so far!! keep it up!!

[Dutchdragon 74]

This is a great cj[:0], it kinda reminds me to my hometown! 

Veel geluk en succes verder!!!

[Darmok 34]

Hey Nicolai

While I admit to know nothing of VINEX, I find their basic rules commandable, but, looking at the picture of Ypenburch I cannot say that I like the overall look and atmosphere of it all! Looks a bit like rows of vegetable in a garden!

I prefer your interpretation of it in SC4, look less administrative and more humane. I particurlarly like all the trains pics, (I've always been a big fan of Railroad Tycoon)

Continue your great work!

Take Care

[Kwakelaar 92]

Sorry, about my comment regarding the vinex, you are the boss here, and probably know exactly what you want to do with this CJ.
Droespolder is a nice looking village. I think the buildings from Vanderaap and Gascooker combine quite well.

[Bluefrog 0]

Nice cities

What sets did you use for your big canals?

[NicolaiS 8]

Date: 6/7/2005 5:13:26 AM Author: Bluefrog

Nice cities

What sets did you use for your big canals?

quote>

 

PEG's Pond kit, you can find it here:

  https://www.simtropolis.com/stex/index.cfm?mode=files&filetype=BAT&Str=peg pond kit deluxe edition

[Cjah 15]

Wow great use of BATs and Pegs stuff.This C.J. is a really good C.J.

I can't wait for more....

[Mickebear 2]

Hi NicolaiS,

I really enjoy your city, very well planned and detailed railroad system, as well as super usage of PEG's pond BATs! Also your habitation areas have extremely Dutch/Flemish feel. I as well will now subscribe to your CJ. Je hebt goede werk gemaakt! (My Dutch isn't very good, as I don't live in Belgium long enough, but I hope you understood  

 

Hugs

 

Mickebear

[FullStrenght 74]

A great attention to detail makes a great CJ... Well done!