This way, or that

[bbfan02 23]

Hey everyone, I was just wondering, I am thinking about making a big city with nice suburbs surrounding the downtown. Which way should I go at building and creating the city? Make the downtown first, or the surburbs 1st?

-bbfan02-

[Surferb0i8o8 1]

I would start off small and build a lot of industry first and as demands go up for officies slowly build the downtown area. As the downtown area grows build suburbs around it. Thats how I've started building my latest region.

[hawkpride147 1]

start with the city center and grow outward, just like in real life

[crazyyaya 4]

I would start at the city center with a small town, slowly grow it into a big city, then strech out to the suburbs.

[Mulefisk 15]

Plan out most of your road network first (Main roads, arteries, highways, etc..). If you start with doing that, it doesen't really matter where you start building. If you're planning on having most of your people work downtown, it's a good idea to place most of your comercial zones there.

[bbfan02 23]

One question, what should I do with my network of highways if I want all the people living in the suburbs to work in my downtown? And if you suggest interchanges, what design or layout should I follow?

[Tojglee (HUN) 2]

Well, the sims are so stupid. If you want them to travel on the highway, minimize the number of other roads/avenues that are going to the downtown because if there's another (shorter but slower) way to the downtown, they will go on that way, and not on your highways. If the sims can ONLY go to the downtown on the highway, they will go on the highway. The AI is sooo stupid.

[bbfan02 23]

well, should I make a highway from the suburbs to the downtown and make a interchange in the downtown for the only way for the people to get to the downtown?

[jayman68 1]

Use mass transit and trains as well as the highway link to feed your city centre. I find that rivers or other bodies of water can help force people onto your highways as their only choice into the downtown core.

[bbfan02 23]

Yea, good idea, I can put the suburbs on one side of the river and a highway that is the only road to get to the downtown area on the other side.

[Tojglee (HUN) 2]

I did the same river thing with the residentiel and the industrial districts. A river can be very useful!

[mrjrob7684 0]

I see what you're trying to do, I have been doing the same myself.  I have found that this tutorial has helped me out greatly:

https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=146&threadid=78505&enterthread=y

It explains a lot on how to build your Metro Downtown you speak about.

[bbfan02 23]

Well, I started out the city and I got about 24,000 people and they all use my 3 highways that bridge over the river and into the high density commercial zoning. About 1,400 people use my highways all together. And another thing is, I downloaded the highway light towers and when I switch the game from being in the day time to the night time, they dont light up. Whats the problem?

[Swamper77 90]

Oddly enough, the highway light towers need power to function properly. You can just plop them anywhere and expect them to work. They need to be near other lots or a power line to light up.

-Swamper77

[Mr_Maison 2,426]

I did a city similar to your idea, but my residents are mostly medium and high. I started with some low density res in some areas. But the main thing I found that works for me is to plan the entire layout,hit the pause button and build all the transit networks first thinking about how your res. are traveling to the downtown(think about making money too...toll booths,bus stops, etc.). Then I would zone the city about 60% to what I have in mind according to the layout. Cost money though but thats what taxes and mass transit is for. So to sum it up, personally I would build the whole thing at once.

[DCMatteo 0]

I get so mad when i get to a certon point  when building a city that the CT gets past 120 and everything gets distressed. Also is it realy worth it to try to line up all streets and layouts or sould i just go for it. 3rd: Does it pay off to use trains for commuters. It seems like it would mess up your layout from being all lined up together.

[DCMatteo 0]

This is why i quit playing simcity. Small city like this with subways to my city above this one with all the M jobs and still i get abandon buildings. Also my streets are nice and organized.