High-Wealth and demand issues

[Yodude 0]

Hello, i started a city called Berlin a while ago now it has come to be a metropolis. but i have a huge problem that might put a final END to its development: the demand for the industry and commerce is very low ! Although i do have a lot of unemployed worthy high wealth citizens ! Education level is 150-160 on average. But somehow also the rich people aren't as well educated and healthy as poorer sims ( although in my city ALL sims have the same access to schools and hospitals ). The high wealth building are being abandoned in huge numbers ! What's the problem ? I don't think it's about commute time like the game says cuz my average commute time is 50-60. Here are some sceenshots:

http://img513.imageshack.us/img513/8156/demandpi9.jpg

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/263/educationoc8.jpg

http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/5073/cityjg4.jpg

[THE_Chris 0]

Hmm. Try giving them a tax break, see if that improves things. Make sure traffic is sorted out. High wealth sims like parks etc too. Try all that

[Xtreme one 0]

i did all that, tax on R$$$ is 10.5%, the city has a LOT of parks, and traffic seems fine cuz commute time is 50-60

[Blackadar 4]

Originally posted by: Xtreme one i did all that, tax on R$$$ is 10.5%, the city has a LOT of parks, and traffic seems fine cuz commute time is 50-60quote>

10.5%?  That's awfully high.

[bbfan02 23]

I would make it to at least 8 or 7.5% if your funds allow it.

[Dukat 2]

Set it back to 9%.

Make sure that your commercials and industry are really being attended by workers. If you got too many jobs not being attended, the game thinks that you don't have enough population and lowers the demand for Commercials and Industry. If you got rushhour, check the commuter lines. If you don't use the NAM (Rushhour required), download it, your commuting will improve then.

[jamicha 0]

I'm actually having the same problem and I have NAM installed. My tax rates are fairly low but my city is doing the exact same thing. I don't actually know how to compute commute times (I'm just a silly newbie) but my congestion map shows all green and I have plenty of subways to accommodate. I'll be stalking this thread to see if anyone has anymore ideas.

[spacecadet77 0]

Originally posted by: jamicha I'm actually having the same problem and I have NAM installed. My tax rates are fairly low but my city is doing the exact same thing. I don't actually know how to compute commute times (I'm just a silly newbie) but my congestion map shows all green and I have plenty of subways to accommodate. I'll be stalking this thread to see if anyone has anymore ideas.quote>

Have you got rush hour or deluxe sim city?

there is a toggle for the congestion map, which switches between normal view and density view. The density view gives you shades of blue, the darker it is the more traffic there is.

Check the air pollution, high traffic levels generate lots of nasty air pollution which is obviously quite bad. This can be countered with parks and trees but you will also need to take steps to reduce the volume of the traffic.

Again, rush hour/delux only - use the network "?" tool to see what paths people are taking

Once you've identified the problem areas check how your public transport coverage is.

If you're just using buses then add another mode of mass transit along those popular routes. Using the car parks you can actually encourage a sort of park and ride system so commuters entering your city from neighbouring cities park up when entering and hop on the subway or mass transit system to get the rest of the way to the office.

Most importantly, experiment with different modes of transport. Changes to the city aren't final, you can quit without saving if something doesn't look like its working too well 

[jamicha 0]

I do have Rush Hour. I have installed the congestion scale adjustment.

I went looking into old threads and I found another situation like this. It said there weren't enough high wealth jobs for the high wealth residents so they are really abandoning because of no jobs and not because of commute times. The suggestion was to raise the high wealth residential tax rate so the high wealth will move out. Then demolition the buildings that are run down. Over time reduce the high wealth resident tax rate so they move in slower and don't bombard the jobs all at once. It didn't say what to do with the commercial tax rate but I'm keeping it low. I'm still having a few issues but it is much better and my population is becoming stable again.

[spacecadet77 0]

ok - people follow jobs, so the problem here is that you've created an economy and the high end of the economy (CO$$$ and CS$$$) has no where suitable to set up, so everyone who's got rich goes else where to spend their simoleans.

A bit of redevelopment to create a CBD (central business district) might be in order. A few parks and plazas and any commercial rewards will help raise desirability. Keep a close eye on air pollution.

have culls of delapidated buildings, if you bulldoze them then something smaller and more suited to the local economy will be built in its place.

Hows your garbage? this should be zero if you want good development.

check water levels and pollution

police coverage should be comprhensive

Neighbouring cities of a decent size will help spur on further growth

The only taxes i ever adjust is the manufacturing and dirt industry to prevent those from developing, the rest all stays at default. I've never seen anything to be gained by trying to tweak taxes.

I very rarely have the terminal growth problems you've described, even playing on hard difficulty setting. If growth does slow down or reverse then there is an explanation for it, be it poor traffic conditions, garbage, police... sometimes there is nothing for it but to pause the game, bulldoze and redevelop. With enough cash in the bank you can get through the tough regrowth stage.

In one city I ended up with more subway tunnels than roads in the CBD just to get the through put of workers to offices

[Xtreme one 0]

ok i fixed the high-wealth issue -- now my city is purely R$ and mostly R$$ --, the the demand still sucks for Commerce and ndustry ! although all the sims are well educated healthy, pollution is rare, traffic is good ! garbage is zero ! why the hello isn't the demand jumping up ?!?!?!