The Best Urban Layout for a Big Metropolis

[LironTheChick 20]

What is the best road layout for a huge metropolis? And if possible, can you post illustrations?

[N106 10]

I'd suggest looking at actual layouts of real-life cities on Google Earth or Mapquest... because I honestly don't know what road pattern is "best"

[dabadon5 295]

Th Best if watever you feel is neccesary for your sims. do they need tons of highways ? if so, then add tons of highways. !

[D2629 3]

i tend to find that grids work best even if they are not the most attractive. Make sure that the sims can never be more than 1km from a highway (1 small city square). Other than that i can only suggest that you try some different things out as to what suits your city-building style. dabadon5 is right, there is no exact way, its just what works best for you. Remember also that having large distances between residences and employment can put a lot of strain on your infastructure

[Jezus53 18]

I also would suggest a grid pattern but I would add that you should mix commercial areas generously into residential areas. This will reduce a lot of the strain you get on infrastructure due to long distance commuting. Plus, adding subway and rail reduces this congestion. I'll usually build most of my rail underground to open up space and remove unneeded x-ings. Also, try to have everything dump into a higher form of roads, example, roads to avenues then avenues to highways. I always have that problem because I, well, forget.

[naftixe 131]

Here is a very basic city plan based on 64X64 tiles. You can start out with this basic design for the foundation of your city. Then as your city grows you can change zones as required. Also, you can delete streets, upgrade them, or whatever. This is a simple AVE by AVE in the center, with one ROAD (3rd St) and the rest are streets. The only connection are the AVE, do not connect the streets and roads to other city until your city is ready. This layout will FORCE traffic to enter your Commercial Zones and make your Commerical Center grow. If needed, you can line the 3rd St ROAD with C-L one tile wide. As the city grows your CBD/downtown should encompass the 3rd St ROAD ring. Freeways, at a later time will encircle the outter areas of the 3rd st ring. Public transportation should connect the center with outter areas.

NOTE: I only did the Southeast QUAD, you just replicate what I did into the NE, NW, & SW using the central AVE roundabout/intersection as a pivot point.

[LironTheChick 20]

Gee thanks! But I consider using google maps... I will use Kuala Lumpur's layout for my largest city(population wise) and Cebu City Layout for the second largest city...but the grid system is good for downtown areas... thanks guys! I will open this thread for future use of other users...

[Craig91 12]

If you want to build any realistic type of city then don't build a grid, or as little of a grid as possible. Your goal shouldn't be to build the world's best city, but to build one that looks like a real city. The truth is most world cities are random messes with only newer ones having some sense or ordxer, and that's what you should be aiming for.

[naftixe 131]

My post was for United States, Canada and other cities founded within the last 100-300 years. This is just the downtown core, but as the cities grow, they go off the grid into tree shaped and other inspired designs. The concept is the same, you need a good vibrant core for any city to spread from.

[D2629 3]

CraigKingOfIreland: I dont fully agree, you are right about most of the cities in the world not following the grid pattern. But not everyone's goal is to build a real city or even make them look realistic. everyone has a different goal in SC4 and the question was about the best layout for commuter transit. Although then again, the non grid pattern is not always a bad way to layout transport, the game presents unrealistic limits on commuting making the grid pattern the best option.

[WhiteKidd22 0]

If you want to build any realistic type of city then don't build a grid, or as little of a grid as possible. Your goal shouldn't be to build the world's best city, but to build one that looks like a real city. The truth is most world cities are random messes with only newer ones having some sense or ordxer, and that's what you should be aiming for.

Well New York since the early 1900's the grid in Manhattan has worked out pretty well. Look at the traffic in downtown Manhattan and then compare it to midtown or the uptown. Random lines don’t make a city good. That’s why Boston and Philadelphia has way more traffic and lower populations. Washing D.C. was planned to have roads lead to the Whitehouse and U.S. capital building. That turned out a mess. Look at all the cities named in this post and you see why grid is a great city infrastructure layout.

[jason leo 485]

Well New York since the early 1900's the grid in Manhattan has worked out pretty well. Look at the traffic in downtown Manhattan and then compare it to midtown or the uptown. Random lines don’t make a city good. That’s why Boston and Philadelphia has way more traffic and lower populations. Washing D.C. was planned to have roads lead to the Whitehouse and U.S. capital building. That turned out a mess. Look at all the cities named in this post and you see why grid is a great city infrastructure layout.

1. Grid is not bad, but it will not become realistic if you have too many cities using the same type of city layout. The target is not making a good-looking city, but realistic-looking city, and most cities around the earth aren't using grid layout.

2. Please, don't bump a 3 years old thread.

3. If you want to do post something but you don't get any thread (newer is better) that match with your problem, please click the 'start a new topic' button that located just right below your account link when you open a forum (not thread).

[WhiteKidd22 0]

Well New York since the early 1900's the grid in Manhattan has worked out pretty well. Look at the traffic in downtown Manhattan and then compare it to midtown or the uptown. Random lines don’t make a city good. That’s why Boston and Philadelphia has way more traffic and lower populations. Washing D.C. was planned to have roads lead to the Whitehouse and U.S. capital building. That turned out a mess. Look at all the cities named in this post and you see why grid is a great city infrastructure layout.

1. Grid is not bad, but it will not become realistic if you have too many cities using the same type of city layout. The target is not making a good-looking city, but realistic-looking city, and most cities around the earth aren't using grid layout.

2. Please, don't bump a 3 years old thread.

3. If you want to do post something but you don't get any thread (newer is better) that match with your problem, please click the 'start a new topic' button that located just right below your account link when you open a forum (not thread).

I din't notice this thread was so old untill the post i made was up. i most likely creat a new thread like you said. Thanks

[Cottoncandy Cyanide 145]

Depends on your sense of taste. You want all your roads to be small, build a lot of streets! You want your roads to be big and wide? Build a lot of avenues!

Though, it just depends on what you feel is best. Personally, I prefer making long wide avenues and one-way streets to lower traffic.

[Cob92 360]

Depends on what kind of city you want to build. American style cities use grids of some sort as a general rule (even where the individual streets are not gridded, the arterial roads still form a grid of superblocks). European cities tend to be less grid-based due to the fact that these cities were developed over the course of many centuries from haphazard settlements. You could also go for something a bit less common, like Parisian style planning, or a circular design.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

It may seem annoying but there is a grid implicit in the game. When starting out, probably grid style is a good option. You can fight with it later. The learning curve is steep enough without worrying about niceties that you can handle later.

There is no "best" layout. I've been in enough cities around the world to know that every city, except those designed by the U.S. Military, are all different. Scan around in Google maps if you don't have enough travelling experience. Topographical features sometimes determine the layout, game trails, others.

Take a look at St. John's Newfoundland. There are some places there where you have to go someplace else to get to a chosen destination. Try not to do that. St. John's is one of the oldest cities on the continent, and was originally designed with teams of horses hauling freight carts in mind. It is full of switch backs to get over the glaciated terrain.

[lhrob 213]

2. Please, don't bump a 3 years old thread.

You mean 4 years old.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

^ whatever. I guess the new people just don't read the instructions for new members.

[jason leo 485]

You mean 4 years old.

Only 5 days from New Year, I already forgot if it is 2013 and not 2012.

Time is just going too fast, even I didn't realize if we already pass 2012.

[Bdub01 201]

Lol I thought I was going back far finding a threat six months old . Anyway it all depends on how you play. I prefer grids. I don't see any reason to make roads at random or diagonal just because. In my R areas I like to make cul-du-sacs at opposite ends of each other with a park, playground , or a softball field in the middle. As for the downtown area I like grids with interstate highways nearby and plenty of exits. Then if I'm greedy I put toll booths all around like say Chicago. Anyway that's what I do!

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

My goal is usually to make the layout conform to the terrain as much as possible. This may easily produce a diagonal road, street or avenue or even *gasp* a highway along a sea coast or at the foot of a cliff or mountain.