Help! Unemployment

[dwyrin 1]

Ok so, as you can see from the screen caps, I'm running my city with a 6x10 residential and commercial grid in which commercial and residential share zones that are facing avenues as residentials can't.  I have 2 rows of commercial lining what i've built thus far in an effort to combat the unemployment problem.  Industry is kept a fair distance apart in 4x4 blocks.  I don't have highways yet since i dont think the city is large enough to require it, yet.  I have bus stations on just about every other street corner with a few more mixed in the higher trafficed areas to keep streets unclogged.  I've also recently added a subway system exiting next to the bus. I haven't messed with taxes and only legalized gambling.

As you can see, i only have a demand for more residential although the residential zones i have now, can't all find jobs.

The only other zones developed is Growersville with just light residents and agriculture

-Mods-

Industry x4

NAM

Help?

Edit - Residential zones in main city are medium.  Commercial is mix of Light and Medium.  Industry is Heavy.

[BelgradeSim 9]

Well, your city looks nice!

Nicely planed, seems functional.. You do not need highways in this stage, true, but if it would be needed in some moment, where will you build it? Sometimes, you have to plan much in advance. But ok, your city is still small.

Well, it seems that you still don't have enough Sims. You can see either in Data view or in Region when you're entering city, how many Sims you have and how many commercial and industrial jobs you have. Yoo have to be aware that 40-50% of all of your Sims are workforce, not 70 and of course not 100% of them.

So, on 26k, 27k Sims (is that how much you have) you need to have 15.000 jobs, both industry and commerce. If you have more, than it's the obvious reason why the demand is low while for residence it's high.

But, if some of your Sims can't find job, check why is that. Are only $$$ Sims those who can't find jobs? If so, that's not huge problem. Just keep their population at low level. If $ Sims are those who can't also find jobs, problem is similar. Most workplaces employ $$ Sims the most. Like in the real world mid class Sims are an engine for your city growth, and they almost never have problems with employment (in my cities at least). Thats because, in some CO office, or IM, IHT 0nly 10-15% are $ Sims and another 10-15% are $$$ Sims. 70% of employed are $$ Sims. That's why you have to have most of mid wealth neighborhoods.

Hope I helped. Ask frrely if you need to know more..

[dwyrin 1]

Originally posted by: BelgradeSim

Well, your city looks nice!

You do not need highways in this stage, true, but if it would be needed in some moment, where will you build it? Sometimes, you have to plan much in advance. But ok, your city is still small.

Well, it seems that you still don't have enough Sims.

But, if some of your Sims can't find job, check why is that. Are only $$$ Sims those who can't find jobs?

Hope I helped. Ask frrely if you need to know more..

quote>

1) The freeway at the moment would go through the area between my industry and my commercial/residencial zones.  I have a cemetary there now but i'd move it elsewhere.  Then i was planning on looping it around the far left side of the university, after filling the space there, of course.  I'm not sure what is optimal, but it seems like a nice spot.

2) yeah, i have more places to work than i do sims, thats largely because i've been trying to get those darn unemployment markers to disappear. 

3) A few struggling to find work are high residents, yes, but as you can see in these closer up shots, its also mid as well as low wealth.  Does that speak of a transportation problem despite the avenues, bus stations, and subways?  Perhaps i've spread the jobs out too much and should have centralized them more, planning my layout around that?  Something else?

[PrinceErik 0]

theres a mod called RCI Multi mod that can alter what kind of jobs get offered to which kind of wealth level. you might find it useful.

[dwyrin 1]

I shall keep the mod in mind if all else fails.

[local_authority01 3]

You have a nice city, but it seems like you are stuck in a rut. This can sometimes happen when you are just starting to develop a region. The unemployment zots tell you to build commercial or industrial, but the demand meter is telling you otherwise. If no more industrial or commercial zones are being developed then you should just build more residential. Most often these matters will work themselves out and as you zone more residential, commercial and industrial demand will rise.

[edman2012 33]

I think it would'v been a good idea to have put another industrial area on the oppoisite side of the city so that the sims hav a better access to the jobs.
i have a city i'v started working on with a similar population.
http://yfrog.com/0jdiamondcoastdec13301272p

[local_authority01 3]

Nice city. If you are worried about industrial pollution getting to your residential areas, you could put commercial in between them to fill that green space. If demand and unemployment is still a problem you should add some neighbor cities. Every time that you move between cities the game creates demand to simulate growth in the city that you just left. This demand is transferred into the city you are currently playing. When you get good at it and better understand the game mechanics, you can transfer demand through your region to make different varieties of cities.

[dwyrin 1]

Thank you, everyone, for your replies.  They've been quite helpful.  I decided to start the city over (i think i just like pressing the detonation button) and reduce the size of my zones (still using 6x10 but in 3 blocks rather than 4) to troubleshoot potential traffic problems.  As you can see, so far, i've not met with the same problem, yet.  I expect demand to fall soon and when that happens i'll try creating a new city to feed demand as suggested above.

Thought you might like to see how its turning out so far.  Since I'm picky about graphics, I have them hosted elsewhere so i can go above the 800x600 rule.

[edman2012 33]

nice new city by the way

[BelgradeSim 9]

Yea, new city is also nice. But I've noticed few shortages.

First, there is no need to make such a small industrial blocks 4x4. You can make them bigger, eg. 6x4 7x5 8x4. Some Maxis industrial and some custom are bigger than the 4x4 so they couldn't grow in your small tiles. And no need so small tiles to surround by roads. You can use streets too. Same for RC zone.

Then, make as much straight avenues from your Residence/Commerce to Industry as you can. I saw that some of your aveues are finished at the end of RC zone, than another one is continued in the industrial zone but there is no continous way.

Then, in the most frequent roads, avenues place commercial zone. The best are the roads leeding Sims to Industr/their works. Place commerce and you will see how some services and offices will thrive. Especially, during the development of the city some roads will become more congested so they will no longer be attractive for Sims to live there so don't hesitate to rezone it as commercial.  It's logical if you think, you wouldnt wanna live in congested road with high noise but those roads are good for commerce.

In the end, about highways you're planing. You would make a clasical mistake if you would build a highway in unbuilt area between Sims and Industry. It's good to have a tampon zone cause of the pollution and it's wise to place trees,forest because they lower the air pollution. But now imagine that you would build highway beetwen RC and I. Where it will leed, who will it use? Highways should leed from most dense populated areas to dense work areas. For example, if most of your avenues would reach congestion it would be wise to build highway instead some of them. Now, i know its complicated, you would have to demolish some of you development but isn't it like in the real world. Though, your city is a medium tile, I'm not sure will you even need highways, if you have avenues and some good mass transportations - trains, EL, subway (though subway is for larger cities).

Now to your first problem - no jobs for your Sims. Hm, I saw even your $$ Sims couldn't find job. Simcity 4 can sometimes have bugs which can really annoy. Like in your first city. You had enough jobs, good traffic network, but still Sims couldn't find jobs. Hope you have the latest NAM and the simulator Z which many say is the best.

Hope this thorough explanation will help

Good luck!

[dwyrin 1]

Originally posted by: BelgradeSim

Yea, new city is also nice. But I've noticed few shortages.

1) First, there is no need to make such a small industrial blocks 4x4. You can make them bigger, eg. 6x4 7x5 8x4. Some Maxis industrial and some custom are bigger than the 4x4 so they couldn't grow in your small tiles.

2) In the end, about highways you're planing. You would make a clasical mistake if you would build a highway in unbuilt area between Sims and Industry.  Where it will leed, who will it use? Highways should leed from most dense populated areas to dense work areas.

3) Hm, I saw even your $$ Sims couldn't find job. Simcity 4 can sometimes have bugs which can really annoy. Like in your first city. You had enough jobs, good traffic network, but still Sims couldn't find jobs. Hope you have the latest NAM and the simulator Z which many say is the best.

quote>

1) Wasn't aware indi went over 4 tiles.  I'll give that a try. 

2) The highway was going to run through there, yes, however i had thought it would be a good idea to then bend it down the zone along the edge of what i have currently built in that picture, dividing that region.  Along that divide i had planned to attempt zoning high denisty to allow for easy travel to either indi or other regions.  Haven't had the chance to test that idea yet though.  Might be a bad one.

3)I am using the latest NAM however i've never heard of simulator Z.  I shall look that up now!

Thanks for the advice.

[dwyrin 1]

Well, i'm now at 100k citizens and no real unemployment problems, thus assuring me that this design seems to be a little bit better than the first one.  Do have some troubles with an avenue and, sadly, no scrapers.  Extremely low on money at the moment because i underestimated the funds i'd need when i put in the high densities.  Guess i'll sit arond for 10 years till i get it back.

Some lack of planning for large tiled gifts such as country clubs, university, and water treatment plants, as well as a general dislike for highways (no real reason, i have about 10k citizens using them.  Maybe just aesthetic?) has me contemplating a restart, or maybe just a new city in an adjacent tile to try out other patterns and mass transit.  Though, that makes me wonder; if i leave a city on a certain speed and exit to another city, will that city keep running, get taxes etc...

[edman2012 33]

Just another tip, it is usualy better to actually follow the rule to build out first before you build up. I know that once you get the population to get high enough you'l want to start building medium to high density, but it's easier if you build out first with low density (which will at first be mostly low wealth) and leave room for development for future highways and others things like that. As you get the region more expanded, then you should zone higher and you'l naturally get more of the resources you want. Yes, its impossible to get everything perfect but just keep playing with the game and you'l find your best strategy.

[BelgradeSim 9]

Well, again your city looks quite nice

I suugest continue building highway network, just continue them in straight lines you already started. They will come handy when city grows and when you will need fast connection from one end to another of the city.

I understand you about the highways, they may not be the most pleasent thing in the city, they divide neighborhoods, need more space for on ramps.. but they are just needed.

At some moment you could implement some mass transit - EL, or Monorail, maybe subway too, though its expensive.

I also advise some diagonal avenues that will fastly connect oposite corners of the city. Also, when i look at your city i can not recognize like the ground zero, some downtown, a center of the city. Maybe you could form something like that with more fancy buildings, some landmark, something that will make an 'old' downtown of the city.

Btw, skyscrapers will come. Continue with good education, health, fire/police coverage.. as city grows you will get them. Also, neighbor connections, more interconnected cities will contribute to rise of importance of your city, especially if it's in a center.

But definitely good work! Just continue like that..!