Kenyon Plains

[bltsandwich 8]

Kenyon Plains - A British Themed Region

Introduction

Welcome to my CJ. I hope you will enjoy being in Kenyon Plains and that your stay will bring you closer to the community created here. First of all, I would like to point out a few things that need to be dealt with. The map used with this region and CJ is one off of the STEX, originally called Main-Region, posted by sirunger. I renamed it to Kenyon Plains, and I am basing the names on towns/villages in my area.

I would also like to point out that I am currently in the middle of sorting all of my plugins out, and have the No Maxis Buildings mod installed for residential only. When I get the chance, I will update to include commerce as well, as I have a few plans for Kenyon Plains.

Lastly, I am basing the region on a British theme, but also with my own twist to the story. So, if you think the region is not good as it doesn't follow a strict British theme, then I apologise, but it is only a game, and it is also my CJ.

With that put aside, I shall begin...

The Beginning

When the first of the settlers arrived in Kenyon Plains, they were amazed at how flat the landscape was, and decided upon building a mega metropolis everywhere. As you'll see, this would turn out to be difficult due to economies in the region. It was decided upon a council appointed for the entire region, and for each town and city to have monies divided up equally. Each town and city was awarded with §500,000 to spend on planning and development, but it was also given with a strict warning:

"Go beyond this amount, and your town or city will become a barren waste."

This was heeded to quite well within the smaller towns, who simply built a relatively small commercial district, and a residential hub and lived the simple life. Some of the developers made sure they only had enough room for a few houses, and decided to concentrate on one of the three zones - residential, commerce or industry.

Shalford

The first of many towns built in the area, Shalford is the oldest town in Kenyon Plains. After a few years of major development, which saw commerce thrive, the council planners of the town decided to re-design Shalford and get set for urban sprawl. They made a promise to the people of Shalford that they were very welcome to stay in the town while this development work went on. As new houses were built, people were moved from the old town to the new areas.

The commercial district was kept intact, and left alone so that there were still jobs around for new people to have. The town grew steadily, and people came back to the town who left. To fund the redevelopment, it was decided that the major roads into and out of Shalford were to be tolled. This annoyed some of the residents somewhat, but it was a necessary precaution to make enough funds for the re-development.

Development work continued, and it was decided that the south of the town was to be redeveloped. Everything was demolished, and all that was left was the roads. It was decided that the roads would need to be relaid...

Before:

After:

... After a small period of development, this is the end result. It is hoped that houses will flourish and build tall. The hospital was demolished and rebuilt (something that doesn't happen very often in the real world [at least where I live]...) further south, nearer the coastline. It is thought that the fresh sea air will add to one of it's benefits of healing powers.

Final Words...

Other towns in the area went through similar periods of re-development, and in update 1, I'll take you around Bardfield, Saling and give a sneak peak to the industrial developments going on in Springwood.

[roboo1 1]

Nice start and interesting story!!! I can only suggest you to turn the grid down (by pressing "G") Gudl luck with your CJ

-roboo1

1 COMMENT!!!

[spore415 5]

good start mate! i like the region you chose and the trees in between the houses! your region veiw looks nice!

[panthersimcity4 162]

Nice, I like how you used those PEG seasonal trees

[bltsandwich 8]

Originally posted by: roboo1  turn the grid downquote>

You know, I keep forgetting to turn it off for pics, etc... lol I don't really need it on, but it's useful every now and again...

[HADC10 1]

I like where this is going, and how you set a limit so you play fair and have a challenge. Let's see how an "organic" region develops. Best of luck!

[jacqulina 162]

great start and intro my friend,nice work so far.

[fabsies55 5]

dunno if its just me but i don't like those trees, although your region is good and looks like your cities will be too.

your buildings are alright and so are your houses but could do a little work but good job.

[Hawkeye9 0]

very nice start and good luck on this cj!!!

looking forward to more!!!!

[Schulmanator 5,793]

A lovely town with some nice greenery. I look forward to seeing more of this one.

[bltsandwich 8]

Update 1

Welcome to update 1. First of all, I would like to thank you all for your replies. I take criticism (whether constructive or otherwise) seriously, and I try and take on board all the things people say, whether they think something is too much, or whether they think I should change things to do with the region. If you do have any comments or suggestions about the region, don't hold back - I want to hear about it. It makes me try harder with the region.

Around the Region

The towns have been busy since you last visited, and all the council planners have been working overtime to bring you an update. Today, we will take a look at a couple of other towns after development, and also an insight into the industrial town of Springwood (in real life, my local industrial estate is called Springwood Industrial Estate, so I guess naming a town after this estate is kinda fitting).

Council planners decided to make sure that industry was kept to a minimal in residential areas, and that each town would be specific to its own zone. Bardfield is pretty much on the same level as Shalford, and has a commercial hub surrounded by residents. This has proved popular, and brings many people to the town, equally in terms of tourism, trade and residential shift.

Though Shalford was the first town to be built in the area, Bardfield was the first town to build and manage an airport, which makes it the main town for cargo transport by air. This has caused some concerns amongst residents, who are worried their peaceful air will eventually be over-run by aircraft, but the council have confirmed that the airport built here will not be extended for the forseeable future.

There have been developments on either side of the river, with the residents liking the bridge systems in place. A second rail bridge has had to be erected close to the original (on the left) to ensure safe amounts of rail transport to take place.

Much the same as Shalford, the councillors decided to get Bardfield ready for urban sprawl. Carefully planning all the roads and then building the houses took some time, but eventually it was all complete, and the Sims living in the town were happy with the end result. It was only a test of time as to whether people would stay in the town, or whether there would be a shift to the bigger cities. This would be a test of time for the smaller towns.

As you can see, the residents flocked to the southern side of the river. They were also flocking to the northern part of the town, which is why there were extra rail bridges extended across the river. A little more to the West of Bardfield, Saling was growing.

Saling

Saling has grown in a matter of years. Still a young town, it has plenty of opportunity to grow even further. Council planners have decided to concentrate on low wealth residents to occupy the town, with a look at some medium wealth residents too. Because the industrial zone will be across the river, the residents should have smog-free air.

The main commercial district in Saling has grown steadily in a smal amount of time, and has now been extended further east. With the addition of an airport, it would seem that Saling is going to grow even more. The council has thought considerably about the transport in Saling, and wants them all to use public transport as much as possible.

Council planners were reluctant to allow industry to build in Saling, as they wanted to "compete" with the other medium sized towns. It was decided in the end to let industry be built but with the following conditions - 1. that it would be built across the river to the north and east of the town, and 2. that they would have to draw in line with the clean air act put in place.

Everywhere you go in Saling, you will probrably have to cross a bridge. Not that you can see in this picture, but all the bridges in Kenyon Plains, not only Saling, are tolled. This is to keep up maintenance on the bridges and to give them a repaint or check for structural damages every 5 years.

A closer look at the industrial zone to the east shows how the roads are laid out. This was done to try and limit the amount of industry being built in the town. It was also the shape of things to come for the industry town of Broomhills, to the West of Saling.

Springwood

An industrial hub, council planners decided to let two towns in the immediate region to become a hub of farmland, dirty, manufacturing and high-tech industry. This is what Springwood has become. In little over 8 years, Springwood has expanded to become the largest industrial hub of the region so far, and continues to grow, although space has become very limited now due to the way council planners have laid out the town.

The council decided that even though they would find industry a dirty and somewhat unattractive zone, they would still make the town look as good as they possibly could by making the industries build with very strict instructions. They were not allowed to sprawl completely across the town, and they were not allowed to build into the areas designated by the council as "havens for wildlife".

It was clear that dirty industries would build first, and in the original plans of the town, there was plenty of land put aside for farming. Soon, these farms would fill the town with produce and crops. Agriculture is about a quarter of Springwood's income, with almost half of the town being occupied with farms.

Everything has to be shipped by rail and freight trucks. It's just handy that Springwood has such good links and a decent transport system. This has enabled the town to flourish, with links to other towns in the region, such as Shalford and Bardfield, who provide the workers for the industries that flock to the town... A never ending circle that benefits the whole region.

So, we've looked at two towns, and an industrial hub. I have had a talk with the council planners, and they have decided to release some numbers:

Shalford's population is steady at 33,895, with a commercial population of 23,604.

Bardfield's population has grown to 37,747, with a commercial population of 17,272.

Saling's population is still growing, but stands at 21,019, with a commercial population of 15,085. It has the benefits of an industrial population of 7,187.

Springwood has no population as such, though industry provides 17,756 jobs to the region.

In update 2, I, and the council planners will show you what Braintree will look like after a major redevelopment.

[Schulmanator 5,793]

The area looks very pleasant and liveable. Keep up the nice work.

[anarchy0029 2]

To kind of say, the area really looks kind of nice. Lots of vegetation.

[jacqulina 162]

looking great so far my friend very nicely put together

[Simtastico 0]

yes indeed, very nice done! I like your residential areas and suburbs.. looks very detailed and realistic. You also use some none-maxis buildings there which gives it a good mix, try to do that more! Like in your industrial areas or commercial.. would make it look super!

[KingTitan 6]

Very nice indeed bltsandwich. Everything looks very organized. I love structure. Keep up the great work friend.

-KT

[DoctorJ 0]

This is nice it seems very well planned.

[edmonton_stinks 5]

Interesting regional concept. This region seems a lot like a tutorial on the Omnibus, executed to perfection. I might like to see some condos in Springwood eventually, close to the high-tech industry. Provided they're away from pollution, they could probably sell pretty nicely.

[bltsandwich 8]

Originally posted by: edmonton_stinksThis region seems a lot like a tutorial on the Omnibus, executed to perfection.quote>

While I thank you for the complement, I think others might think that it is a tutorial, but I have simply been playing SC4 for a long time, and have figured out ways to make it work. I've just never settled on a region for long enough to implement them for long enough.

Also, I've never done a CJ [i attempted one a couple of years ago, but failed], and so I'm trying to make it as good as possible to get it going.

[bltsandwich 8]

Update 2: Beazley End So Far...

Beazley End has been given an out-of-tradition development phase as opposed to the other towns in the region. It was looked upon that a series of plataeus would be created to develop all areas of the town. Council planners decided to try this technique as they had seen it being used elsewhere around the world with a lot of success.

As there was to be a lot of ground moving and creating to be done, the town was given an open option. If the town needed more money, it was deemed possible that it could have a small loan every month of §1,000 Simoleons each month, so long as it could cover costs of paying back the loans. However, this wasn't needed in the end, as Council planners decided to take it slowly and develop the town piece by piece.

The residents soon came to Beazley End, with an overspill starting to happen from Braintree. It was soon seen that Beazley End would become a commuter town, and a complete overspill of Braintree, but development work continued on a small scale, with urban sprawl being the main contender for housing.

Once the residents came to the town, it was also seen that commerce would scream out for room here. It was decided that a large commercial district was built, with it being in the centre of town.

With the commerce and residential zones doing so well, Council planners didn't need to take the loans they were granted from the coffers, as they were making money left right and centre. There were opportunities arising from everywhere, and Beazley End was growing fast. With the commercial district wanting a new airport, it would soon run out of space to develop, so another commercial district was built alongside an airport.

The industry unions wanted to build in Beazley End. As there were so many residents already living in Beazley End, there were a few rules the planners wanted the union to follow: 1, to make sure no pollution was made from the industries arriving in town, 2, to make sure that only a small percentage of the town was developed as industry, and 3, to keep to the rules of the town and be developed with its own plataeu. While this worked at first...

...It was soon overruled by another development to the extreme south of the town. This was only passed by Council planners as OK because it was far enough away from residents not to be harmful if there were any pollutants in the atmosphere, as they would disperse.

This new development soon grew into another industrial hub, and took less than a few months to completely fill up.

As the industry and commerce continued to grow, pressure was mounting on Beazley End to build more high-rises. The Council eventually gave in, and decided that one of the plataeus built with residential buildings would be selected as the only place where high-rises would be built. It was decided that a trial run of 20 years would be tested to see if residents would stay in the high-rises. It seems that, after 24 years of development and continued growth in the town, residents are not too shy of the towers, and it makes for an interesting skyline too.

Beazley End population at end of update:

Residential population is at 39,742

Commcercial population is at 27,754

Industrial population is at 7,217

Please excuse the grid being shown, I forgot to turn it off, but I will remember to do it for the next update. In Update 3, the Council planners would like to show you the magnificent town of Braintree. An extensive collection of images will be shown, as Braintree has developed quite dramatically.

[edmonton_stinks 5]

Beazley End looks good, I love the residential as you have used Gascooker's semis extremely well and it looks very British.

The commercial...I'm not so crazy about. I know there is a lack of custom office content available out there, but it might be nice to have a bit less repetition. Keep up the good work!

[Mother of Invention 23]

Wonderful mix of Maxis and Custom content

[JJC12321 0]

wow this is a fantastic cj so far. i love the custom content and story line, keep it up