Turry Metro Region to Scale

[Dannato 4]

Hee, hee: a holiday in a nuthouse. I'll think about it, Utora, but we would have to go incognito -- my reputation, you know.   I did the map with Paint Shop, and if I had known how much time it would take I woudn't even have started.

Dscampbell, mayormommy, thank you too for your interest and comments.

[Dannato 4]

A weekend off

I admit it's kind of ridiculous to spend an extended weekend at a hotel in a suburb just some 10 kilometres from where you live and work, but this is SimCity, and Sims are not in for long distances. So I took out one week-end to relax at the Cat Lake Inn Farm Resort.. Needless to say, I booked the entire establishment for my wife and myelf for those three days.

The Cat Lake Inn is a restaurant and resort hotel specialising in biological farming cuisine. The nearby lido  on Cat Lake tends to be a bit too crowded on summer week-ends, but now, in mid-October, when the water is a bit chilly for swimming, it's a very peaceful and idyllic place. This area north-west of Turry offers various outdoor sporting activities such as horse-riding, golf, fishing and bird-watching. The latter isn't for me but I just mentioned it because it's in the leaflet.

Credits - the lot is a very old but still useful creation by Gshmails called the Welcome Inn.

My wife, Laetitia, is not the type for this laid-back sort of activities. She usually prefers shopping trips to Mandursuro, yachting in Tropicana Islands region or adventure safaris in Kiphtin Bay, but she understands I am recovering from an amnesia and I need time to rest, relax, talk to her and try to remember my past. What's worrying me a little bit is that she keeps on saying all the time that she wants her old Danny Dannato back, and I'm not sure if I can ever meet that expectation. So far, however, I still have her trust and her faith in my recovery. So I'm trying to play for time.

Author's note: If this update seem too small and pretty pointless to you, let's just look at it as a reminder that this journal is alive, and will remain so until a new version of SimCity comes out, Simtropolis or myself die or my country will be invaded by aliens or Americans or Canadians or the Dutch or whoever. So the odds are 99% that this will keep on going. Like it or not. Hope some of you like it, though.

 

 

[Xurros 10]

OMG!!!!
Your ideas and projects are absolutely fantastic!!
I love the rail / metro / el. rail connections, but I'd like to know how many people use them , if it's possible!

And that map.... I'm speechless...

[Dannato 4]

[Edited 10.10.04: Transit usage info moved to respective post on page 4]  

[utora 0]

Pretty resort, pretty wife, pretty pics, pretty update! Hopefully we'll see a completely recovered Dannato at work soon!

[Dannato 4]

The Cat Lake area offers excellent horse riding opportunities. Cat Lake Equestrian Centre is still my favourite, it's where I learned horseback-riding when I was a kid, ages ago. I really enjoyed our ride into the nearby Ivy Heights Forest.

Later that afternoon, we took a little walk through surrounding fields, when we came across some historic ruins I'd never even heard of. A farmer I asked said the people simply called it the Old Fort. All the houses nearby, he said, were haunted, which is why many farms just next to the ruins are abandoned. You can't see abandonment in the picture, but indeed we saw quite a few delapidated farms in the area.

I don't believe the farmer's spook story. But I think I'll have a closer look at the area's statistics to see what could be done. Once the Northern Beltway is built, things might change dramatically here, and construction of the motorway is indeed going to start very soon. Very first thing on Monday, I'll announce my decision to preside over the Northern Beltway project personally. This area needs a well thought-out balance between economic development and rural preservation. I'll review the area's zoning plan to make sure at least some parts of this pretty area wouln't be eaten away by Turry's suburban sprawl.

[subedei 3]

This is a really creative CJ. I like your rural areas alot. It gives a distinct character to your region. Keep up the good work.

 

 

Subedei

[smartpig 0]

OK, that does it!

I haven't looked in in longer than I'd care to admit, but after catching up tonight, I have to say that of all the magnificent CJ's on this site, this is now my favorite. You rock, always have, probably always will.

[MayorTim 16]

Wow, awsome region!

[Dannato 4]

You know...  when I started this journal I never would have thought that anybody (except, of course, my humble self) would count this journal among their favourites. I am highly honoured that some of you do. I also appreciate all the others. And I would like to thank you, thank you most sincerely, for letting me know. It's making me feel good, because, like many others, from time to time, I need to boost my ego. 

 

 So, time for an update!

Project --- The Northern Beltway

The following week, I held several meetings at the Transport Department. This ugly highrise was built in the early seventies at the M123 in the city district of Swansey. It's easily acessible by car, but if you're relying public transport, this location is a desaster. Sorry, but it was built before I took power. (Credits to Vlaakhaas for the CSX Urban Planning Transit Affairs).

 

I reviewed the plans for the Northern Beltway with the project team, and I managed to push through some changes:

 

 

Instead of the proposed routes 1A or 1B, an alternative route will now be built: 1C. This route runs at a farther distance from the Cat Lake natural and recreational area. On the entire Northern Beltway, there's always just one exit on each (medium) city map. Below a few pictures shortly before and after completion of the M13. We're travelling west from Cat Meadows to Greenwich.

Cat Meadows district before and after building of Northern Beltway (M13). Some low-wealth projects and a low-density commercial zone mark the northern end of Turry's suburban sprawl to date.

A long and straight section of sunken motorway cuts through the fields of the Cat Lake district.

Just before the Small Cat Lake, the motorway turns south-west towards Mt. Hunkers. Last exit before the tunnel: Rainbury and West Appledore:

The tunnel is running under Mt. Hunkers into the Limouth Valley, where the Northern Beltway (M13) merges into the M11 at Greenwich. Just after the tunnel, the exit to Engleston and West Hunkers:

Looking back north we can see the end of the Engleston Hill Tunnel. We could exit to Engleston or Hunkers, but we'll stay on the motorway.

Before the M13 crosses the River Limouth into Greenwich, there is yet another tunnel, built to preserve an existing a mediium-density residential area. South of the river the Northern Beltway (a.k.a M13) finally joins the M11.

 

We'll leave the motorway in West Greenwich, an industrial and commercial area with many shopping centres. But before we have a closer look at Greenwich, here's an an aerial view covering all of the Northern Beltway, to conclude this update.

Usage is very good (dark blue) on Mt. Hunkers and Engleston Hill sections (mostly tunnels); good in Greenwich (medium blue); only the section between Cat Lake and Cat Meadows is poorly used. This might change in the future, because the area south of the beltway, still fields and woods to date, is a so-called Intensified Urbanisation Area. In a couple of years, we will see a large new residential suburb there.

Credits -- Many exits and interchanges wouldn't have been possible without the Network Addon Mod (NAM) by Tropod, the7trumpets, and many other contributors. Thanks to them for their great work.

[subedei 3]

I like your regional pics. A very nice sprawl you got going. Keep up the good work.

 

 

Subedei

[dscampbell 181]

Once again. I love the way you plan things. It seems so professional. I've recently started to play agan and I'm actually playing the turry region from STEX. I'm trying to plan like you do and make a realistic city like yours, but with my own dutch infuences. You could say I'm sort of making a Turry/New Holland Coctail

Keep up the perfect(!) work!!

[andrew george 0]

Some great work Dannato - well planned motorway system you've got going on there.

 

 

A

[Dannato 4]

Thanks Subedei, Andrew George. Dscampbell: Good luck with your neo-Dutch-Turranian region

Here's just a small and unspectacular update on the city district of...

Greenwich (pop. 67,000) --- Most of Greenwich was a swampy flat area in the Limouth Valley. Only in the 30ies was the area drained, and some farming developed, along with some farm houses. Despite its proximity to Turry, and despite the flat terrain ideal for large-scale development, the area remained surprisingly rural for a long time. In fact, there are still two large farms and a space-wasting water treatment plant between the M13 and the river. Most development started only in the 60ies, which is why Greenwich is characterised by its large-scale road layout, by cheap high-rise and mid-rise social housing, motorways and large one-storey shopping centres.

Nicer looking residential projects for lower to middle class families were built starting from the 80ies.

The buildings between Greenwich Blvd. and the M11/M113, suffering from high traffic noise and pollution, are mostly social housing projects (council homes); the newer buildings just next to the river offer affordable, modern and funcitonal lower-middle and middle-middle class homes for urban families.

Hmm, yeah, I guess there's nothing more to say about Greenwich. Maybe, except that Greenwich is one of the sites the City of Turry has in mind for a huge new football (i.e., soccer) stadium... But this project is still in its very, very early planning phase... 

So that's it for this weekend. Cheers and thanks for your voicing your opinions, ideas, critiques, whatever.

[andrew george 0]

New stadium eh? I'd like to see the Santiago Bernabeu pop up in Greenwich, I have to say....

 

A

[Dannato 4]

Andrew: I was actually thinking of the Millenium Stadium, but maybe I'll listen to the people and have some kind of a poll to find out which stadium, and which location they prefer.  But that's gonna have to wait, as I said, that project in its very early planning stage.

 

I know page 5 is a little late to try continue whatever kind of story line I've been trying to follow, but here goes:

That's it. My wife left. That $%&^!!

I need some time to think, she said.
About what?, I asked.
Well, can't you guess? About us. You, and me. You know, I understand the accident you had* has severely traumatised you, and it'll take time to recover. But you just don't seem to want to make any effort to recover! Instead of relaxing, spending time with me, your family and friends, all you do is work. That extended weekend on top of this page... you promised to stay till Wednesday, but went back to work as early as Sunday evening! And if you can't take out time to go on a holiday with me, I'm telling you, that's not gonna keep me here.

So she left. Not for good, she went on a holiday with a lady-friend of hers, to some far-away tropical region. Leaving behind a man who is trying to recover from a severe amnesia, obviously in need of her support. What a $%&^!.

*You might have read about it on the previous pages: I have a double identity. That's confusing, so let's clear things up with a short portrait of the main characters. Completely different from how you imagined them, provided you ever did, of course:

[Edit: sorry for the typos and other mistakes in the above pic and througouth the journal -- I know sometimes I even leave out entire words.  Being too lazy to redo the picture, please accept my apologies and just ignore the mistakes. In case you ever read anything anyway, well, thanks a great bunch for your heroic patience.]

So, one identity is the man I just named Ray Allison. The second identity is all I learned about mayor Dannato's past, his relations, preferences, habits, etc.That's the man I'm trying to be, pretending to have amnesia for everything I haven't been able to learn about the real Danny Dannato -- with limited success it seems. Allison's brain is having troubles adjusting to Dannato's life, and more specifically, his wife.

But who is (or was) Dannato, and who was (or is) this one Ray Allison? This is what I'm trying to understand myself, and if there's one promise I can make, it's that I'll tell you as soon as I find out.

 

[GingerBlokey 30]

WOW Trains, maps, realism and signs in one CJ. YAY
You get -

[Dannato 4]

Earlington & the North

Now that the Northern Beltway has been completed, time to focus on the development of the northern city districts and suburbs. Halfway between Central Turry and Turry International Airpoirt, the city district Earlington is the economic centre of the northern part of the Turry metro area.

Here's a rough zoning plan for upcoming development:

Below a picture of Earlington some 30 years ago, when it had only some 36,000 inhabitants and marked the northern end of urban development:

After the most recent development, particularly in the north-east of the map, Earlington has 81,000 inhabitants; 47,000 commercial and 36,000 industrial jobs:

Let's take a tour...

Old Earlington, Market Square, Earlington Station, Commerzbank Tower.

 

Exhibition area: Convention Centre and Indoor Arena (HSBC Arena).

 

N.W. Earlington. Top: Catwick Station, with a McDonald's, on Shaffleton Avenue. Bottom left: railway near Catwick Station. Bottom right: Wealthy house near stream and community pool.

 

Ludbeck commercial & industrial area. Top right, right of the motorway: Residential towers of South Gladbrook.

 

[utora 0]

Hmmm... this amnesia thing sounds  a bit like Fight Club, are you sure there aren't more Dannato's around?

Very impressive regional shots, and I have to admit, again, that there's something about your city-layouts which is so eye-pleasing and realistic at the same time. Maybe it's the sparing use of highrises (i really hate forests of skyscrapers)

Again: wonderful updates! Keep on inspiring me! 

[Dannato 4]

Thanks for your visit, Utora. Fight Club is an excellent film. There is certainly something schizophrenic about Dannato, let's just hope it won't end with Turry's skyscrapers collapsing... I'm not sure how many there are out there, but I know they're there... And as far as realism is concerned, well...

 

About something some people call... realism, I think:

 

Turry metro region just reached 1.5 million inhabitants. Its alledged terrestrian counterpart is believed to have less than a third of that (i.e. some 450,000), despite spreading over an area almost perfectly identical in size and shape. Weird...

[K_m_H 0]

Very cool CJ.. Hunkers what kind of a name is that lol

[Dannato 4]

Date:10/24/2004 4:49:46 PM
Author:K_m_H

Very cool CJ.. Hunkers what kind of a name is that lol

quote>

Terrestrians tell stories of a very bizarre, unpronounceable name that spells something like this: H

[dscampbell 181]

hahahaha, I'm more amused with Kloten! Since that's dutch for Balles

Man Dannato!! I voted for your city as most Esteticly pleasing! I just love the totally realistich look!

[bourneid 13]

What is that white biulding with the caption Ludbeck commercial & industrial area. Is it avalable on the STEX?

 

besides that...this is one wonderful city journal. You have done a great job not only building it but also including an engaging storyline.  for you!

[Dannato 4]

DSCampbell, I already thanked you by PM for nominating me, as I had no intention of bumping my journal...

 

but I guess this should be public:

 

bourneid: the building is AMA Building by PDA, from the STEX.

 

Excuse me for neglecting my credits to BATters an Lot makers in the latest updates -- there's so many, it's getting impossible to remember all of them. So feel free to PM me if you see a building you'd like but you can't find on the STEX and I see if I can find out.

[flanig407 0]

One word. Amazing.

[bourneid 13]

Thank you for pointing me the way.

[Dannato 4]

Traffic Management for the recent development in No.-Ea. Earlington and So. Gladbrook has been a bit of a disaster, as it is relying exclusively on road traffic. Commuters used to cut through residential streets (red route), causing congestion in a residential area instead of sticking to the major thoroughfares (dark green routes).

However, an easy and cheap solution was found: To distribute traffic evenly to each of the three highway underpasses between Gladbrook and Earlington, it was enough to make one road section (within the yellow circle) a one-way road (yellow arrows). Congestion now no longer concentrates right in the middle of the residential area, but is distributed evenly on the major avenues and roads.

All hidden shortcuts have been eliminated, some of the green sections in the traffic view that you might take for streets are in fact pedestrian malls. Quite a lot of bus stations have been added as well to relieve congestion.

 Way too much work in RL is currently keeping me from playing and updating more often.
Hope it'll get better soon.

[J0nnD0ugh 31]

I'm a lurker, not much of a poster. But I like this city. This is more of what I'm looking for. I'm taking my time making a large region & looking for ideas on making it look as realistic as possible. This type of region is just what I'm looking for for ideas. Great job.

[Superstar 69]

Very nice CJ, I always LOVE  aCJ when it holds best graphics, thisone sure jas nice ones