Confused about block sizes

[ReshiramLover 50]

When you lay down zones, it automatically put them into blocks. But I am confused about why the game lays them down in different block sizes. For example, a low density residential zone gets zoned in in 6x6 blocks, whereas a high density residential zone gets an automatic zone size of 5x5. Tall buildings are bigger but the game makes them a smaller block? It makes more sense to make the high density zone blocks 6x6. Like I have to lay low density zones them immediately overlap them with high density zones. And get this, sometimes the game lays low density residential zones in 5x5 blocks or 4x4 blocks as well as laying high density zones as 4x4.blocks.

 

It seems that the game is very inconsistent on the block sizes when laying zones.

 

Why does the game vary the sizes of the blocks?

 

And what is the optimal block size for residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural zones?

[matias93 7,535]

I remember a very similar question was posted a few days ago, but is simple.

1. Yes, the game makes blocks inconsistently but you can take control of that behaviour pressing the keys Control, Shift or Alt on your keyboard while zoning: alt rotates the zoning, shift avoid streets to be created and control makes the entire zoning just one lot.

2. I understand that there is not an optimal size, but it depends on the desired density of your city, as bigger lots are generally less dense than smaller ones. On this, experimenting is also the best option.

[RobertLM78 1,598]

This is why I plat all my cities by hand.   Square 4x4 and 5x4 at the city centre and 4x6,4x7 'long' blocks for the rest.  Every 6 short (4x) blocks (or 4 long blocks) an avenue.  The game's choices on these matters leaves much to be desired. 

Edit: incidentally, following the formula above for avenue layouts winds up spacing each avenue at very nearly 0.5 km. 

[rsc204 21,869]

48 minutes ago, RobertLM78 said:

The game's choices on these matters leaves much to be desired. 

Actually, when you consider only the unmodified game, that's not so true. Many of the configurations alter depending on various factors. But are also programmed to make zones work when buildings upgrade. So a block of 1x3 Res zoning can allow 2x3, 3x3 or 4x3 buildings to develop later on for example. Much the same with 1x2 zones which will scale up nicely to fit some of the larger footprint buildings such as the 4x4 towers.

Of course when you throw custom content into the mix with it's huge diversity of different footprints, it all comes unravelled pretty quickly.

[RobertLM78 1,598]

46 minutes ago, rsc204 said:

Actually, when you consider only the unmodified game, that's not so true. Many of the configurations alter depending on various factors. But are also programmed to make zones work when buildings upgrade. So a block of 1x3 Res zoning can allow 2x3, 3x3 or 4x3 buildings to develop later on for example. Much the same with 1x2 zones which will scale up nicely to fit some of the larger footprint buildings such as the 4x4 towers.

Of course when you throw custom content into the mix with it's huge diversity of different footprints, it all comes unravelled pretty quickly.

Hehehe - That is in all likelihood true, however I've never really liked nor used the 'auto-street' feature when zoning.  I don't have a lot of custom growables and I have only been using those more recently.  I'm probably just more used to building the streets by hand since I cut my teeth on SC2000, where you had to do all that yourself. 

[rsc204 21,869]

Don't get me wrong, I pretty much never use this feature either, since I too wish to have full control over it. But often when testing I will use it, since I just want to zone/grow things quickly.

[jeffryfisher 2,176]

I too hate the auto-street feature, so I draw all my own and then hold shift when zoning. Even though NAM claims to have repaired the routing (perfect pathing), I am still paranoid enough to lay out mostly dendritic trunk & branch plans. When I drag zones, I can lay residential lots 3-deep by 20+ long on both sides of a street with a single stroke.

However, I am now experimenting with vascular plans (where the streets, like capillaries, cross-connect to other trunk's roads). If I learn anything worthwhile, then I'll eventually write about somewhere around here.