Mayor_1337

I know that, but I have a downtown city and I don't want to create a huge hole and plop an airport. There must be a plugin with a 1X1 tile that could act as an airport.

Where's the lot that allows you to plop an airport in the city? The demand for my commercial districts is stagnating!

Yeah, public transportation in North America sucks quite frankly. Vancouver only has, what, two (three if you include Canada Line) rapid transit lines for a city of 2 mil +? Japanese cities of that size have complex subway system already. Victoria, don't get me started. Nothing other than sporadic bus service, though we might start commuter rail this fall. The problem is that cars are so common and easy to get, which would drive subsidies through the roof if we had something like in Japan. But privatizing translink will make things worse. Just look at the horrors in England when Thatcher privatized all bus services. It works over there in Japan because no one can afford to drive to work. As for the question, it's hard to say really. Tokyo's rail system keeps the city afloat and is fast, but is horrendously crowded and the fare structure is so complicated. Hong Kong is also efficient and fast, but buses are confusing. Singapore's MRT is clean and fast, but somewhat limited in scope. Paris has a single fare structure (convenient) and the RER is fast. The metro is also reliable. Though the French like striking, and metro stations are piss puddles. The banlieus are terribly isolated, and this resulted in the riots. London is so-so, since you could go anywhere without a car, but the tube is dirty and crowded. Other public transit is really expensive. New York, it's quite similar to London, and the subway is fast and 24/7. The suburbs are too car-dependent, though. I guess each system has advantages and drawbacks, but I would answer Tokyo, because they need to have a top-notch system.

My favorite city in the world is Toronto. Yeah, I'm Canadian, so I'm biased, but it has a bit of everything. A big city, not too many low-density cookie-cutter suburbs (gah I hate those monsters), multicultural environment, and it's safe (yeah, that's been a bit tarnished recently, what with suicide bombers at a Timmies on Younge St and shootings at Eaton centre, etc , but it's still much safer than any US city of comparable size). Only problem is that public transit is a joke (since I hate driving >_<) and the Gardiner suffocates the mind when you're downtown. I like Vancouver too, and much of what Toronto has Vancouver has too, but I think BC in general is too laid-back for a young person. Thank god I'm only applying for UoT and Waterloo for university.

Vancouver's one of the best cities in the world, and its scenery is absolutely stunning: Mt. Baker, from a BC Ferry from Victoria. Where else can you see snow-capped mountains and the sea at once? View from the Oak St. Bridge, traffic was smooth going into town on a Friday afternoon. The opposite direction was jammed up. The lack of efficient transit is a real drawback. Granville St. Bridge, looking into the condos of False Creek. Not so long ago, this was a wasteland of abandoned railyards and warehouses. Then Expo86 came, and many immigrants from Hong Kong put billions into those condos. When I first saw this, it reminded me of the towers of Hong Kong. This was taken on a school trip, hence the yellow strip of the school bus on the left. From the same bridge, looking south. You can see the chic townhouses in the foreground, and the buildings in the background. Is the tall one on the left city hall? What is it? Brownie points for the first person to answer where this is!! Now for a picture of a bad side: This was taken from the men's room on the ferry, and symbolizes the drugs problem. We have criminal gangs churning out acid, crack, e, ice, and so forth. And hemp is the #1 agricultural export of BC (wonder why...). Also says something about city planning. West End used to be very run down, like a red light district. Then the condos were built, and then Downtown Eastside grew, and grew, and grew, and now it's infamous for the Pickton case. Now construction is booming as the 2010 games approach (and the entire world sees a property boom), and guess where the next target for regeneration is? The soaring property prices have meant people are sleeping in places like alleyways, parking garage stairs, and elsewhere. It's a real blemish for an otherwise dream city. Also highlights an unreal aspect of SC. If you build posh condos in a poor area, the residents don't disappear. Oh well, hopefully homelessness will be in SC5 .