What city maps should I be looking at for inspiration for this backstory?

[jwsteele 77]

Hey all, I've fooled around with SimCity, custom content, etc. enough to start going after my longterm city.

The backstory is that this is a British settlement in the very Northern part of California (far north of San Francisco, practically Oregon) during the late 1700s/early 1800s. The street layout and names will reflect British cities, until the Gold Rush brings a rapid expansion of mostly American settlers. I'm thinking very late 1800s/early 1900s it will be annexed as a sort of special city state in America, ala an American Hong Kong. Eventually it will be a global city with considerable influence in finance and political relations between America, China, Japan, and Russia.

My first layout is going to be the British settlement. I'm basing it off the Vancouver landscape. I'm thinking a centrally located main village that is located far in from the sea and mainly benefits the farmers and landowners, with a main road linking to a dirtier port/industrial section by the sea. The rest will be sprawling farms and the large estates of a couple wealthier landowners (which will likely eventually become the parks).

I'm thinking no grids will come into play until the Gold Rush expansion.

What cities should I be looking at for street layout/street name inspiration for the main village and the port? Any thoughts on street layout, park placement, spaces I definitely need (town residences for the wealthy landowners, churches, etc have already been considered)? You guys are brilliant at this, and I'd love to consider your input. I'm going for realism (well, as much realism as an alternate history of the American west coast can support!).

Any other ideas for eventual growth along the line that is inspired by that backstory are of course also appreciated. I'm also really, really, really partial to street naming and transportation (I'm picturing starting out with a rail, and then eventually I want a subway based city), so if you nerd out on that stuff too I'd love your input.

[jwsteele 77]

Is this the right forum for this question, by the way? Still learning.

[how_deep 2]

I would look at Portland OR or Stockton CA as inspiration. They're in similar locales and economies.

[jwsteele 77]

I would look at Portland OR or Stockton CA as inspiration. They're in similar locales and economies.

Yeah, except those were founded by Americans. I'm wondering about cities that were originally British settlements elsewhere in the world. Eventually I imagine it will expand to an American style grid, but the center is going to derive from a more village style map, central abnormal streets surrounded by roads that lead to farmland.

[nycsc4 5,250]

Look at Vancouver. Or other settlements in British Columbia. Or if your trying to create a "british styled" city, you might simply try looking at cities in the UK.

  Edited April 25, 2012 by nycsc4  

[demon_W 3]

Check out areas around Eureka, CA, especially Arcata to the North and Humboldt Bay to the south; smaller-ish coastal towns with lots of forested areas.

[Cob92 360]

I would look at Portland OR or Stockton CA as inspiration. They're in similar locales and economies.

Yeah, except those were founded by Americans. I'm wondering about cities that were originally British settlements elsewhere in the world. Eventually I imagine it will expand to an American style grid, but the center is going to derive from a more village style map, central abnormal streets surrounded by roads that lead to farmland.

The thing is, during the 18th and early 19th centuries, there was very little separation between American styles of building and British styles due to the fact that America was part of the British Empire . The villages in old England are the way they are because of they fact that they've existed since medieval times or longer. When the British were settling America, the first few settlements also shared this chaotic village layout, but later colonial cities (Philadelphia, Richmond, Savannah, etc.) used a grid wherever practical.

My suggestions: Look at cities in the east coast states of the U.S. that were founded prior to 1800. Look at Canadian cities. Look at Australian cities. Don't look at old cities in Britain, because they're not reflective of what Britain was doing with city plans in the colonies.

  Edited April 25, 2012 by Cobhris96  

[jwsteele 77]

Thanks Cobhris. Good point.

[Odainsaker 2,133]

Yep, look at pretty much any of the British overseas colonies...don't forget also places like Cape Town in South Africa or Kingston in Jamaica. Though a little exotic, the colonial lion of the Empire would be Singapore.

Vancouver, however, will remain the primary model for the location you are envisioning.

Not so obvious might be Honolulu, whose early modern development after British contact under the sovereign Hawaiian Kingdom followed closely in inspiration and advice from role-model Britain as a near-protectorate. By the late 1800s, distant British influence was replaced by the near proximity of the U.S., who indeed made the strategic crossroads islands a protectorate and later annexed them into a territory and state.

  Edited April 25, 2012 by Odainsaker  

[jwsteele 77]

Great ideas guys. I'm really in love with Sydney's street layout right now. While geographically I'm using Vancouver, I'm not too inspired by the Vancouver street plan.

[Gurning_Chimp 398]

Manchester, UK would be a good option, it started springing up just before the time of the California Gold Rush.