Failure to Upzone Despite Demand and Desireability

[Alastriona 13]

My city is very small, ~12k population.  I have R$ and R$$ demand, and low density R$/R$$ buildings in areas with very high desireability for them.  However, the buildings will not upzone (that is, become medium density with the proper zoning). It is also not a demand cap issue, as demand is not exactly 0 and I have spammed parks over the area.  I am wondering what I am neglecting in my play and why my city is stagnating despite demand.

Note: I am running pure vanilla (no NAM), and traffic is likely not the issue as I do not have "Lack of Job" zots in the affected areas.

[Propfam 2,305]

6 hours ago, Alastriona said:

~12k population

That's why. Also, I saw tons of mansion, which practically means there won't be any new development except if those mansions are abandoned or rezoned and grown into higher rise buildings, or there's enough R$$$ population in the region that makes building high rise luxury condos possibly. Unfortunately, you're not in that stage yet so the only way forward is to develop your surrounding region. Better yet if you restrict the zoning to just the lowest wealth possible. The best way to restrict R$$ and R$$$ is to tax them up to 20%. Rinse and repeat and hopefully, your main city will grow some towers.

[Alastriona 13]

41 minutes ago, elfrjz said:

That's why. Also, I saw tons of mansion, which practically means there won't be any new development except if those mansions are abandoned or rezoned and grown into higher rise buildings, or there's enough R$$$ population in the region that makes building high rise luxury condos possibly. Unfortunately, you're not in that stage yet so the only way forward is to develop your surrounding region. Better yet if you restrict the zoning to just the lowest wealth possible. The best way to restrict R$$ and R$$$ is to tax them up to 20%. Rinse and repeat and hopefully, your main city will grow some towers.

Thank you!  So the R$$$ is the problem there, as well as the population.  Not sure why the low population is the problem there, though, given that demand is present.

[Propfam 2,305]

8 minutes ago, Alastriona said:

Thank you!  So the R$$$ is the problem there, as well as the population.  Not sure why the low population is the problem there, though, given that demand is present.

There's something called the stage cap, not to be confused with demand cap or any other caps. Here's a topic that explains it really well