Turry Metro Region to Scale

[Dannato 4]

All pics from about the middle of the second page down are and will be hosted off-site.  I was planning to replace the earlier images (especially on the first page) by off-site images, I just didn't get round to do it yet, sorry.  -- It's on the to do list.

 

[Dannato 4]

The weather's been quite nice, so instead of doing an update, I've been hanging around the lake. We are now leaving the Turry Central map, to the western lakeside district of Willis Haven:

Willis Haven Beach is the largest Beach on Lake Turry. On cooler days in early spring or late summer, you might prefer the heated water of the public swimming pool, entrance fee

[Casper3141 60]

whoa i really like the marina area its just so cool looking and if i were you i would go for option C BEHEAD HIM!!!!

[andrew george 0]

I love the whole thing man, it's great. Option C, slowly, with a nail file.......

[Dolfan348488 0]

C seems like the most efficient option to me.  O, and while your at it, give the local police some donut money to keep them occupied

[smartpig 0]

Brain transplant, definitely. Just think of the money you'd save on letterhead, business cards and such.

Wait a minute:

what's Dannato's love life like? ? ? ? It could be important...

[subedei 3]

Nice CJ you have here. A good city/region and a good storyline.

 

Subedei

[Dannato 4]

 I'm surprised what blood-thirsty characters are hiding behind the well-mannered mask of some members of this site. 3 votes for a coup and a decapitation, 1 vote for a macabre brain transplant...  Well, well, there's more than meets the eye...

Anyway, your posts confirm what I've been suspecting: the first two options (elections, honest or manipulated) are rubbish, I won't be following those.  I'll evaluate options C and D.

Option C: Coup d'etat, revolution, decapitation, taking his position

- Obviously, you can't just go around killing mayors and get away with it. Not in times of peace. So...
- What segments of society are discontent enough to be incited to start a revolution? Are there enough?
- What are Dannato's weaknesses in politics I could exploit them to incite the masses?
- What do I need to portray myself as a credible revolutionary leader?
- Will the national government intervene? If so, how do I protect myself and my Region? Turn Turry into a city-state?

Option D: Abduction, brain transplant, being him.

Smartpig is right, if I'm going for a brain transplant, I'll have to find out a few things about him:

- What's his love and/or sex life? That's very good to know, either way
- If it sucks, I can always change that...
- Judging from press photographs he looks good enough so I could imagine living in his body. But I should see him personally to make sure.
More importantly:
- Is he in good health?  Any health problems, e.g. weak heart, impotence? (I'll try to get closer with Dr. Vu's first assistant, she should know.)
- What else do I need to know about his past and his behaviour pattern to credibly pretend I am him?

I guess I should reach a decision within the next few updates.

[+Guest]

The city is looking very sharp. keep on the good work.

[Dannato 4]

Project -- Turry International Airport

Remember when we landed at the smallish municipal airport near Dubbindore on page 1 ? Finally, Turry is getting an airport worthy of the metropolis it aspires to be.

Turry Dubbindore Airport (TDU) will be dedicated exclusively to military usage in the future. Civil aviation is to be transferred to a new international airport just west of Louton. We have seen the site from the plane the day of our arrival: it's where Louton HAF (Helvanian Air Force) base is located.

Turry International Airport (TRY) will extend over two city maps, Louton and West Louton. The former airforce base will be turned into the cargo section of the new airport. West Louton is still nothing but farms -- this is where the passenger terminals are going to be.

 Fortunately, building airports doen't take very long in the Sim world. So the airport might be finished... tonight?

I'm sure mayor Dannato will be present at the opening ceremony... hmm... maybe be an opportunity to seize him...

 

[Dannato 4]

Turry International Airport in Louton has been completed. Here's a general overview.

 

http://homepage.hispeed.ch/dannato/turry/pics/TUC-040725-CJ-49_AirptTRYoverview.jpeg align=baseline>

Below, a few impressions of the main section on the West Louton map.

http://homepage.hispeed.ch/dannato/turry/pics/TUC-040725-CJ-55_WLO06_combo2.jpg align=baseline>

Bottom right in the above picture : an aircraft manufacturing plant offering almost 9000 jobs to the residents of the cities neighbouring the airport.

Credits -- Joerg for the Airport Pack, Citynut for the Newman Inc. Aircraft Manufacturing; Vlakhaas for the CSX Planning Business Affairs (the blue high-rise below -- this is basically representing the airport administration building).

http://homepage.hispeed.ch/dannato/turry/pics/TUC-040725-CJ-54_WLO05_combo1.jpg align=baseline>

Credits (again) -- Frogface Bus Station by... guess who.

Below the cargo section on the Louton map. This is where the air force base used to be.

http://homepage.hispeed.ch/dannato/turry/pics/TUC-040725-CJ-60_LOU01_combo1.jpg align=baseline>

Admittedly, this airport is well planned and impressive but... it's a bottomless pit, and it was financed by some dubious transaction bank by the name of BLS or BAT or whatever...

For the bookkeeper kinda guys -- Ever wondered about the cost of this extravaganza? The passenger part in West Louton cost

[smartpig 0]

Tonight? Yes, tonight would be good.

Updates, please. I really, really like this region.

[Dannato 4]

Hee, hee... we cross-posted... There ya go. Thanks and enjoy!

[+Guest]

What else can I say, it looks nice.

[smartpig 0]

Date: 7/27/2004 9:30:02 PM
Author: Dannato

Hee, hee... we cross-posted... There ya go. Thanks and enjoy!

quote>

How funny! As I hit submit, I thought, Gee, smartpig, you're being dumb. It's late here in Atlanta, and he's way over in Britain (right?). If he were gonna post tonight, he already would've done it.

And, sure enough, you had-- a few seconds earlier!

Anyway, the new airport in really cool. I don't think I've ever seen a runway that crosses a city boundary before. Plus, expanding a redundant military airfield into a civil airport seems realistic because it's such a sensible idea.

Also, this is the first CJ I've seen that uses those new banks. I'll surmise that you like them, or else you wouldn't have said anything...

As always, please keep up the good work.

[Casper3141 60]

wow this city looks better every time i check in i cant wait for another update

[Dannato 4]

Date:7/28/2004 8:51:26 PM
Author:smartpig
(...)
How funny! As I hit submit, I thought, 'Gee, smartpig, you're being dumb. It's late here in Atlanta, and he's way over in Britain (right?).
(...)

quote>

(wrong: Switzerland - which means it got even one hour later that night, and I had to go to work just a few hours later that morning. Don't tell me, I know I'm insane.)

I'm working on an update just now  -- and yes, I hope this will be done before midnight Central European Time, so I can get enough sleep this time round. 

[Dannato 4]

Project -- Industrial Port

We have seen some reasonably nice waterfronts in the outer city districts and suburbs on top of this page. But what about the lakefront in Turry proper?

Not exactly metropolitan, is it! I've been wondering why this section of the lake shore has remained so under-developed for all these years. My landlord, investigative journalist Theo McGinty, has done some research on this. Aparently, any construction on this area has been frozen due to a controversial port project, which hasn't been disclosed to the public but debated in a special committee within Dannato's administration. Here's a copy of that plan:

 

 

Any sensible Turranian would agree this project is ridiculous. Lake Turry is a small lake hundreds of miles from the coast, with no navigable access to the ocean. There hasn't been any shipping to speak of since the railway and the automobile were introduced. There is no need for a port, and it wouldn't have the slightest chance ever to be profitable.

Dannato's developers however argue that this might be true on some far-away planet called Earth, but here in Sim World, the horizon ends with the region map, and there may very well be a huge ocean extending just south of Goldbrook and Kilborough:

An ocean?!? Here?!? What an absurd idea. Don't you think my vision below is infinately more realistic?

As I said, a long and narrow lake -- no ocean, as far as the eye can see.

So, instead of ruining the entire waterfront with unnecessary noise and pollution of an industrial port, why not give our sims parks, boardwalks, marinas, lidos and beaches. I will launch a pressure group to prevent the building of the port and work out a counter-proposal that will get enough popular support to force Dannato to give up his pointless port.

(Now that I got my brand-new face at Dr. Vu's, a perfectly fitting past and professionally faked documents from Pete Mallory, I can appear in public without fear. This is going to be my first move in politics since my return from exile):

What do you think? Suggestions, criticism, new ideas are always welcome. Save our local waterfront! Join the Waterfront for the People Committee now!

[mayormommy 8]

That picture of the lake turning into the ocean made me laugh.

 

But I don't know how you're going to have any support for a coup in such a pretty city.

[Dannato 4]

Ah yeah, the coup... Well, it's been a while, and the more I've been thinking about it, the less it seemed feasable. Mayor rating is sky-high in almost every city. Sims must be rather narrow-minded and have no sense for aesthetics or visionary urban concepts. The story of the proposed port (above) didn't get much attention either. While most locals agree a recreational aerea at the Straiton waterfront would be cool, they are very reluctant to get involved in any kind of political activism. My conclusion: Don't count on the populace! I'd better get it over with that brain transplant plot as soon as possible, if I want to realise the projects I have in mind for Turry.

What projects? Well, let's start with the big picture -- my development plan for the metro region:

- Increase density and/or Improve quality and of existing built-up areas;
- Develop some designated new zones in the outskirts while preserving a fair amount of green and rural areas;
- Double metro population from 1,3 to 2,6 million
- Fill the gaps in the motorway network, esp. the northern and western beltway sections
- Make the passenger rail system more efficient and increase usage. Build railway access to Turry Intl. Airport.
- Expand the underground and elevated rail network to reach the outer city districts.
- Replace anything that looks grossly unrealistic or out of place.
- Optimise usage of power and waste infrastructure, e.g. by neighbour deals, and bulldoze the excess of power infrastructure.
- Build a tv and observation tower on Mt. Uto.

Close-up on Central Turry's development map:

Restore/recreate

Turry's historical centre and make it look more old-worldly, using some of the best old European lots from Simtropolis.
- At the same time, build a few carfully selected and well-placed skyscrapers to give the city a more metropolitan feel.
- Replace dirty industry on Central Turry map by commerce or high-tech.
- Link the various rails stations on Central Turry map, replace level crossings by over-/underpasses when Network Addon Mod is ready.

I realise that's been a lot of planning, and not much building. But I have to be mayor before I can focus on the building again, in other words: actually play the game the way your supposed to -- well, except for some mods, of course.

I've been dating Monica Lubitzky, Dr' Vu's first medical assistant, who got to know Dannato very... uhm... intimately. What I could gather from her careless chatter: Dannato's health is excellent, and judging by all the mistresses he's supposed to have (including of course, herself) he can't be impotent, which is reassuring.

So one day, as Dannato was riding to his golf club, a yellow sports car pushed the mayor limo off the road.

No one was seriously injured, although the accident looked pretty serious. The yellow car that caused the crash, sped off and fled. It was incredible how quick the ambulance was, Dannato had just crawled out of the limo and seemed to be all right, yet somewhat under shock. He claimed he was okay and didn't need to be hospitalised, but the ambulance staff convinced him to get in the ambulance and be taken to Vu Medical for a check, just to make sure.

 

Less than an hour later, at Vu Medical, Dr. Vu's First Assistant and Press Speaker Monica Lubitzky announced to journalists that the mayor had several internal injuries. Nothing all too serious, but he would have to remain in hospital for a while, before he would be able to resume his work as a mayor. One city journalist was secretly laughing up his sleeve. From now on, he could do without all the paintshopping and stop making up silly stories, and finally focus on developing the region instead.

[jasperdeman.nl 1]

 Damn, due to the drooling, I have to clean my desk again!

 

But it's worth it! I really like this comic style to show your city!

[+Guest]

amazed by this work, good work!
Your Harbour looks awesome and your airport looks good too.
I like the setting out of your cities they look great

Hope to see more updates

[smartpig 0]

Date: 8/20/2004 8:12:23 PM
Author: jasperdeman.nl

Damn, due to the drooling, I have to clean my desk again!

quote>

Maybe you should get yourself a droolproof keyboard like mine. It's good if you have little kids, too.


Dannato, great work as always. It's been a while since your last update, but the wait's been well worth it.

Here's hoping you enjoy your new persona...

[London_Wyverns 0]

This CJ and the New Holland CJ are 2 of the best CJ's around!!
I really like the smaller pics in the large pics, very clever done!!

[utora 0]

Awesome cj! It's just perfect. P.E.R.F.E.C.T !! Thw region, the cities, the pictures, everything! The pics look very professional with the inserts, how did you do that? Photoshop? (which I don't have) Do you have suggestions on how to do this (sorry for the stupid question, but I'm kind of a newbie with these things..)

 

Cheerz Utora

[Dannato 4]

 Whoa, I'm flattered and, indeed, blushing from all the superlatives used in the recent replies. Thank you guys.

 

Utora: For the composed pictures, inserts and stuff, I use an PaintShop Pro 5 (that's an older version), which is easier to use and cheaper than Photoshop. I don't think there's a way around some kind of graphic program, so I don't know if I have any helpful suggestion. It's most important to work with layers, e.g one for the background picture, one for the lines, one for the text, the skyscraper icons, etc. This way, I can also save some time by copying and pasting layers (e.g. the map title, city names...) from an earlier picture. But it's still very time-consuming, and I try to refrain from doing this too much -- after all I still need time to play the game, right?

[Dannato 4]

Project -- South Central & Straiton Waterfront Beautification

Well, I've been spending a few weeks in the private ward of Vu Medical, doing excercises learn to control this unfamiliar body, or, should I say, my body learning to deal with this foreign brain that's been implanted. I've also been learning as much as I can about Dannato's past. But of course, it still happens that people say: Danny, or Mr. Dannato, don't you remember?, and I don't know, especially when his wife... err... my wife came to see me. Fortunately I can always claim I have amnesia due to my accident.

First thing I did when I became conscious, I ordered the Waterfront Beautification Project to begin immediately, so I could take a stroll in the new parks around the lake the day I get out of the Clinic.

Some things haven't been done according to plan, e.g. the two marinas next to the new Berkley Square ferry terminal. The Straiton ferry terminal has been left where it is, the embankment is more like a plaza are on the water. Commercial building on the waterfront have been restricted to som take-aways, souvenir shops and a cheap diner. There's a good reason for that.

But as a whole, quite nice a waterfront -- thanks to SimGoober's trail parks and RobledoRenaissance's neo-classical gazebeo, and to RafaRivera for allowing the bird-watchers enjoy the new Aviary Dome, with its African parrots cursing at every passer-by.

Here's the waterfront viewed from the opposite side.

The south-most part (top left) of the Straiton Waterfront hasn't been developed yet. Where marinas, a pier, a breakwater, a lakeshore restaurant and resort hotel, and a large amusement park were planned, the shore is still just trees, grass and mud. What went wrong?

The plan is being revised. Advisors and council members are starting to ask questions about sustainability, finances, more urgent projects to focus on and stuff. Neil Fairbanks keeps bugging me about that industry needing room to expand. So, being the wise man I am (whoa!) I've ordered the remaining waterfront beautification projects to be put on hold. Here's why:

Darn, being mayor is harder than I thought. I'll have to put aside all my beautiful beautification dreams, get the budget back on track again and finally get some sustainable growth. Already, my R

[subedei 3]

A very detailed and well thought region. I am  looking forward to more updates.

 

 

Subedei

[comdude21 6]

I'm really impressed by this one. The way it sprawls out is very realistic. Great job .

[andrew george 0]

I like what you've done at the waterfront - a big improvement in my opinion.....

 

The whole of Lake Turry area looks great but redevelopment is vital in any city. Looking forward to more!

 

A