City has to many old people

[djfiocco2 0]

I really don't understand what im doing wrong, but my big cities always end up with a large number of old people. and because of the old people i get the big die-offs and my demand ends up plummeting while the other bordering city plots will all have huge RCI demand. Just wondering if there's some sort of fix for this, or if i'm just doing something wrong.

 

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

This is always a problem that you have to cover off by having things that attract younger Sims.  You can get a better picture from the display of the same name which shows older population in blue and younger in green with variations between.  It is worth keeping an eye on for two reasons:

 

1. Museums, libraries, parks and art galleries should replace schools in blue areas.  Keeps the older Sims happy and holds the EQ up.
    
2. Lets you monitor when you are getting out of balance on the young vs. old by area of the city.  Sometimes a little urban renewal is the only good solution.
    

You need to keep a pod of dirty industry around if you can, as well as a large selection of CS$ jobs.  Don't be in a rush to upgrade zones, especially commercial ones, and try to hold the line on small, single occupancy lots in these areas.  I use 1 x 1 and 2 x 1 lots.

 

The default zoning of 1 x 2 is a trap because they can easily be consolidated into 4 x 4 and wind up with a R$$$ mansion.  2 x 1 lots prevent this.  Of course this means zoning by hand.

 

You need to keep a vibrant junior culture in a low-wealth area from which R$ can move up to R$$ areas.  New R$ should move into these areas once better educated Sims move out.  A small dirty manufacturing sector with some low density commercial and some few blocks of 1 x 1 and 2 x 1 low density R lots should do it.  This is not exactly a ghetto, because people can move out.  It needs good schools, cops and fire services.  A library is also a good idea.

 

This is only one aspect of keeping a city balanced.  When things get out of whack you get the kind of graph you posted.

[djfiocco2 0]

thanks a lot.

[Shark7 118]

Good advice in here.  Some things that even I was not aware of.

 

Question or two:

 

1.  Are there any landmark or 'gift' buildings that have an effect on the population age?

 

2.  I've also noticed that my elementary schools end up with virtually no use in the end game, I assume this is the aging process happening.  Is it better to have elementary and high schools overlap in coverage, or to place them so they don't overlap?

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

1,  I am unaware of any such.

 

2. If this happens, your city has become unbalanced and may die of old age.  There is no end game as there is no way to win.  It is important to keep a flow of young Sims entering the city, so you do need your elementary schools, but perhaps not as many as you may have starred with.  Take a look at the Population by Age Display rather than the Graph.  Blue areas get museums, parks, libraries, etc.