Itchen - a typically English City Journal

[Peyres 0]

actually the colour of the water is usually determined by the weather. Clear skies, it reflects in the water and it looks nice and blue. The Thames always looks crapper on a cloudy day. But yes people dumping sewage in for no god damn reason doesn't help.

I'm also having problems getting the GC's Semi-Detached to grow in mass swaves. Trying to create a semi-realistic London, and I've started on my own borough first where those houses are all over the place, row and row, street after street.

[andrew george 0]

What a good journal - it is a very British city, with lots of fundamental British features, such as the design of the trasnsportation network.

 

Excellent!

 

 

A

[ILL Tonkso 1,239]

Wow, never knew you had a CJ, nice work, ANOTHER LOW WEALTH CITY YAAAY, (i have been looking for a good tower block showcase outside my CJ)

Ill Tonkso, your local Evil Genius

[Kwakelaar 92]

If I still be a student, I would probably chain myself to the concrete pillars of the car park to stop the demolition team.

[Compromise 1]

Good 1990 update. Hope to see progress continue.

[GaryReggae 81]

Good evening folks,

The year is now 2004. A lot of changes have taken place in the city of Itchenham in the last few years. In a recent poll, most city residents rated the city as much better than it was ten years previously. A change in council leadership brought around most of these changes.

First of all, the council moved from their draughty, crumbling 1960s monolithic office block, Castleman House to a new purpose built structure (below)



Castleman House was hated by most residents. The area around it was fairly run down as well. The council decided drastic action was on the cards.


Large crowds gathered to witness the blowdown of the building. However, it was very expensive due to the large amount of asbestos that needed to be stripped from the building before it could be demolished by controlled explosion.



The rubble from Castleman House plus hardcore from the motorway upgrade project was deposited in the river to create a small but pleasant riverside park. However, not many people liked to sit there and admire the view as the river was brown with filth from the factories on the other side of the river.



This didn't last long as the highly polluting industries gradually closed down due to high taxation on air emissions and the cheaper labour abroad. The old industrial land was cleaned up and used for housing. However, many of the plots have not sold yet due to developers being apprehensive about the soil being contaminated. Many of the old Victorian terraced houses have been abandoned as their occupands became unemployed as they all worked in the factories nearby. The water is much cleaner now the factories are gone though!



This area was where the old Railway Works was. The council were hoping for a prestigious office development however there is simply not the demand at the moment. A few large retail operations have opened up including no less than four Debenhams stores!!!



This previously undeveloped shoreline area has been snapped up for luxurious high-rise apartment blocks with a smashing view.



The outer bypass motorway upgrade project has now been completed. There is also one of many new housing estates here. Driving to work is the only option for residents here as there is no bus service or railway station within walking distance.



Due to major traffic problems and the construction of a new motorway to the East of the Itchen county, the Inner Ring Road has been reconfigured in Highfield, the area near the University.



Here is where the new M32 Eastway link road joins onto the outer ring road/bypass.



And finally, a shot of the CBD. Somehow, the 1960s multistorey car park has survived, the council have not yet demolished it due to the inconvenience that would be caused during redevelopment works. Also, Itchenham Cross Square has been refurbished with new paving to replace the stark, grey 1960s layout.



An aerial photo:



Transport map:

[Compromise 1]

Excellent things about this update which should be kept up: The realism and concentration on historic events.
 
Passable things about this update which could be improved: There are one to many run down buildings in this update which look like they shoudent be.
 
Bad things about this update which should be improved: N/A
 
Overall Rating: A B C D E F

                         ^ B Good update.

 

City Journal Evaluation System (CJES) by Compromise.

[ScottFTL 29]

Great update, GR. I like the redevelopment storyline you have here. Keep it up!

[palmgurl 1]

maybe you should slow down when you are building cites? because you have to much abandonment. looks ugly. but any-who i can't judge your cities as they are yours

[ILL Tonkso 1,239]

That was a nice building, how could you

[GaryReggae 81]

Thanks for the comments folks!

Date: 6/19/2005 3:14:38 PM
Author: ILL Tonkso
That was a nice building, how could you

quote>

Sorry!!! I did want to keep Castleman House but in order to make it realistic, it had to go!!! There seems to be a vendetta against 60s architecture at the moment so my CJ reflected this. I was going to knock down the Tricornesque car park as well but I really couldn't make myself do that. Anyway, Castleman House will be released on the STEX as soon as I get time to update it a bit, it's one of my older buildings so doesn't have jobs or nightlights or anything but *cough* it's available on the offical SC4 Exchange.

[ILL Tonkso 1,239]

Cant wait to see it!

[jacqulina 162]

excellent update coming on great

[Kwakelaar 92]

Great update for this city with all its problems.
Looking forward to the next urban renewal plan.

[Gryphonite 0]

Wow, can't believe I hadn't come across this before. I must say though, to add realism, you should have had some enviromental protesters (the hippy, tree-hugging type) chaining themselves to trees and digging tunnels under the route of your upgraded bypass I do like the historical aspects of this CJ though, very typically british.

[Lord_Bertrum 3]

Gary, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this CJ.

[GingerBlokey 30]

Ive enjoyed reading this too. Poor Castleman House.

[sirgeoj2 1]

looking good!!