Attracting the Middle Class/What EQ do they need?

[Wasila 0]

Hey,

I am just getting back into SC4 (again) and I am trying to turn my 7-year-old city of 40,000 from a slum into a gleaming middle-class city like its neighbours are, which I built a while back. I have an elementary school/high school/college/parks/a hospital and recently a few hundred rich people turned up, but the middle class and commercial (except for poor services) demand indicators remain deeply negative. I thought I had to wait for the Education graph to go up... it's hit around 50 now and still nothing. Do I still need to wait? Tax rates are around 6%. What am I missing?

Thanks!

Wasila

  Edited October 2, 2011 by Wasila  

[His Divine Hand 244]

Jobs. Your sims need jobs that employ their class, and if you don't have them, they won't come. Now, EQ will play into this for the simple reason being that Industrial demand is based on number of sims that have x EQ, and once your EQ is high enough, industrial manufacturing and high tech will start getting their demand up, and they employ decent amounts of R$$, there by increasing your demand for them.

[Wasila 0]

Jobs. Your sims need jobs that employ their class, and if you don't have them, they won't come. Now, EQ will play into this for the simple reason being that Industrial demand is based on number of sims that have x EQ, and once your EQ is high enough, industrial manufacturing and high tech will start getting their demand up, and they employ decent amounts of R$$, there by increasing your demand for them.

Well, industrial demand is all very high, but I don't want industry in this part of my region (I'm RPing a bit). A few middle class offices/services have turned up, but no middle class yet (although their demand is less negative than it was).

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

Jobs. Your sims need jobs that employ their class, and if you don't have them, they won't come. Now, EQ will play into this for the simple reason being that Industrial demand is based on number of sims that have x EQ, and once your EQ is high enough, industrial manufacturing and high tech will start getting their demand up, and they employ decent amounts of R$, there by increasing your demand for them.

Well, industrial demand is all very high, but I don't want industry in this part of my region (I'm RPing a bit). A few middle class offices/services have turned up, but no middle class yet (although their demand is less negative than it was).

Try discouraging the R$$$ with taxes. Zone more middle of the road C$$ buildings (try 3 x 3, 2 x 4, and 4 x 4) with plazas and parks. Discourage I-D by jacking their taxes to 20% and encourage I-M and I-HD. Try to be guided by your R$$ desirability chart. The program is written to want a balanced mix of RCI, but you can put your industrial over the border. Make sure you have good transit to it if you do that.

Some of this may well require urban redevelopment (bulldozing, rezoning). Sounds like a neat challenge to be made into an opportunity for success. You might try a little slum clearance.

[Wasila 0]

You want me to discourage the rich?? How come? BTW, when you say zone middle of the road buildings... I assume you mean middle-density? I don't plop buildings. Also, do commercial need parks? I have been building loads, but mostly in residential areas.

A few middle class buildings have been buit, and demand is almost flat (up from a low of -4000), so I am hoping for some sort of surge soon.

There is industrial over the border, but only quite far. I have built a successful commercial-only town before; is it not done often?

  Edited October 3, 2011 by Wasila  

[His Divine Hand 244]

Plaza's and parks increase commercial desirability.

And if there is any industrial in the region, so long as you have enough jobs within reach of your current projects sims, that will be adequate for your needs. You will need to work up those industrial areas though if you want to increase your R$$ demand.