N106

I've been playing around with a New York region I downloaded- and by playing around, I mean attempting to recreate New York City:

vivapanda: I hope so, too. Update 14: Citrus and city planning A recent satellite photo of the area between Valleyview and San Paso show that both cities are expanding and sprawling towards each other. In between the cities is the town of Citrus, which spent the first half of this century as a sleepy farming town, but is now becoming a center of growth between the two larger cities. As late as 1955, Citrus was a tiny town of barely 1,500 people, surrounded by miles of uninterrupted farmland. However, the town's population has exploded to over 10,000 with suburban sprawl and the mass migration to the Sun Belt. Now, in 1968, the feel of Citrus has changed. Many locals and even some new residents are pushing to incorporate Citrus as a city, and are hoping to establish some kind of character for the area, in order to keep it from becoming another forgettable new neighborhood. Some residents have discussed building a park around Citrus Lake. However, the town still lacks the financial capability to construct such a park, and regional governments have been more concerned with San Paso. A shopping center near Citrus. Meanwhile, in San Paso's eastern suburbs, Towne Plaza, a new shopping center trying to catch the small town feel, just opened. Another view of Towne Plaza. Meanwhile, politics remain in play back in San Paso. With Mayor Warren's second term expiring next year, an election is taking place. Warren's Chief of Staff, Ron Michelson, is running against city council member Mark Hernandez. However mixed up in his campaign Hernandez may be, however, he did propose a plan to revitalize downtown a few months ago. Hernandez spent months working with city council member John Thomas, and a few local urban planners, to create what is known as the Hernandez-Thomas Plan. The plan involves demolishing a couple of blocks to build a large park, constructing a Civic Center on the southern end of downtown, turning part of Central Avenue into a pedestrian mall, and changing many of the downtown streets to be one-way. In his written proposal, Thomas stated that the industrial district behind the train station should be demolished, and the city should consider relocating its major station about a mile north or south. Hernandez shot the idea down, stating that too radical a plan would prove too expensive and gain too much political opposition. For a representation of what some of the planned changes look like on top of downtown San Paso in 1967: So far, City Council has only taken up the Civic Center idea, and Mayor Warren stated that he would not approve any highly expensive change to downtown. Ron Michelson has taken it a step further, questioning how necessary a downtown revival actually is.

vivapanda: Thanks. I used Photoshop to put it together... I might try to make a mosaic and use this to cross tile borders. But that's an idea for another update. Update 13: Downtown falls, Suburbia rises Despite the recent new constructions in downtown, the area wasn't exactly in good shape- most office-based business was moving out to the suburbs, or even just to uptown. Also, industry was moving out as well, from the tight, aging facilities along the Rio Paso's park and facing ordinances and property values that made business in the inner city difficult. With both industry and business moving out, some people followed. Meanwhile, in the increasingly abandoned areas around downtown, crime rates skyrocketed, partly due to the social unrest and rising crime rates all across the nation in the late 1960s. In downtown, the former First National Bank, once the architectural gem of downtown architecture, sat abandoned, with boarded up or broken windows, devoid of furniture, and with many of the fine marble or polished wood decorations crumbling. In 1965, the city condemned the building, and there is discussion of demolishing it, although, with downtown barely pulling through, nobody could image what would replace it. Meanwhile, industry has found a new place in the northern suburbs, above the I-17 freeway. Another new industrial spot. Suburban growth has reached the Rio Corduva, a full 8 miles north of downtown. On the north side of the river, a new neighborhood used retaining walls to deal with the uneven, rocky foothills or the mountains. Strip malls continue to appear along major arteries, such as the I-17. While downtown loses its shopping and offices alike, a new office park, Corduva Park, has opened just below the river, right along I-17. Meanwhile, in Hamilton, new subdivisions and businesses have quickly expanded north to Highway 145. Back in the central San Paso area, attempts to revive inner city areas include apartments and condos in park-like areas, keeping with the idea of large buildings in a park that was often prevalent with urban renewal projects. Another method involves condemning abandoned buildings or buildings that have become home to squatters, and demolishing them, leaving large and empty lots throughout the inner city. One neighborhood just a mile southeast of the central intersection is due for demolition. Entire blocks have already been cleared. In a city council meeting, representatives from East Paso Park (a neighborhood first developed in the mid-1890s, currently in transition from middle class residential to uptown shops and offices), the Central Paso Catholic Church, and the downtown stores still hanging onto downtown area properties petitioned for and demanded a more solid effort to revitalize downtown. "I can't play favorites when it comes to neighborhoods," Mayor Warren said, "If downtown is being abandoned because businesses go to the suburbs, that's not my job to resolve. If the hand of the market points up the freeway, we can't throw all of our money in the opposite direction." City council, however, was more supportive of the measure. Mark Hernandez, a prominent council member, has called for revitalization efforts since he was elected to the council in 1954. There are rumors that Hernandez and John Thomas, a longtime city council member who ran a failed campaign for mayor in 1960 and 1964, are working with a small team of local urban planners to create a plan for revitalizing downtown. In fact, Thomas blasted Mayor Warren at a press conference earlier today. "Warren likes to say he's not playing favorites when he leaves the city's historic center to die so that subdivisions, strip malls, and warehouses can eat up our region's farms. But in that same statement, he said that we should follow where the 'hand of the market' points. Is that not placing the fortunate as a favorite? I can only wonder what he will do when, 10 years from now, his business and home find themselves surrounded by empty, scrub-covered lots and decaying, abandoned houses?" Hernandez, however, has seemed less interested in joining the mudslinging. When approached by reporters, Hernandez merely said, "If downtown dies, everybody loses."

vivapanda: Well, thanks. It took me a little while to build that park. Update 12: An uneventful update 1966 was kind of an uneventful year for San Paso. Anyways, I decided to play with photoshop. I put together pictures of the central San Paso tile and the neighboring tile, to see how well they line up. Other than the arrows and the strange transition to road, they lined up quite nicely, actually. More coming next update!

Replies Fox: Yeah... I like the RHW because the highways look way more realistic and take up a more realistic amount of space. It can get hard to work with sometimes, though. Update 11: Downtown Constructions In 1965, two large new buildings opened in downtown San Paso- the Redding Building to the left, and the Gray Tower, to the right. The correlation between their names and colors is coincidental. Despite these new constructions, the San Paso skyline still hasn't changed much since the early 1930s. Also, the San Paso Department of Urban Planning estimates that the regional population of the area has exceeded 800,000.

Replies Benedict: Thanks. I didn't expect to make this update, but decided that, since I was working on San Paso and taking pictures, I may as well update. Schulmanator: It has been awhile. And thanks. Lyhoko Leaci: Lyhoko shall have her answer in this update. tshirt23: It's great that you enjoyed it. Hopefully this next update is just as entertaining. Update 10: From the park to the highway Although Daniel Warren, the pro-growth, anti-regulation candidate who was against heavy expenditures of city money and wanted to give the people of San Paso a tax cut, was elected, City Council ultimately blocked him on most of his policies during his term. The next election isn't until 1964, but Warren found himself stamping or signing many policies that he didn't like, including a higher property tax rate for San Paso residents. As mayor, Warren found himself with remarkably little power, given that the city government gave most of the power to City Council after Mayor John Roberts resisted local pubic works projects during the Great Depression and was nearly impeached. The major project Warren found himself opposed to but approving was the Rio Paso Restoration Project, a legislation proposed in 1961 to clean up pollution in the Rio Paso, build a park in the area, and clear out many of the turn-of-the-century era factories for offices. Warren vetoed the industrial clearance, but approved the park and the cleanup. Many downtown-area residents criticized Warren for this action, asking, "What's the point of cleaning up the area and building a park if the area's still going to smell like industrial waste?" The project is over a two mile stretch of the river, starting south of downtown. Along the river, a winding path leads people up to Central Avenue, with the old viaduct now replaced by a gently sloping grass field. The old industrial reservoir, which had been a horrific smelling cesspool for more than half a century, was also cleaned up and turned into a pond, although the continued presence of industry in the area may still cause issues. Park pathways continue past the river, but the green park is still surrounded by the industrial park. Finally, the Rio Paso flows into a large reservoir, officially called Warren Lake (that was one of Warren's requirements if he was going to allow this project to be built). Warren Lake terminates at a low dam, where the Rio Paso Restoration Project ends. The entire project was completed just this year, 1963. Warren, the mayor of Hamilton, and the town council of Cepillo found themselves in negotiations with the state of Arizona in 1961 over the construction of State Highway 145, which would meet up with the I-17 freeway at the northern edge of San Paso's sprawl. The highway has just been completed. The 145/I-17 interchange, 5 miles north of downtown. 145 passes Cepillo to the North. The highway curves next to the Rio Corduva, a river that flows 7 miles north of San Paso. Another interchange for Cepillo exists just west of the town. There is an interchange a couple of miles east of Hamilton, where the farms come to an end. Just a half mile north of Hamilton, as well. Meanwhile, San Paso itself continues to sprawl in a northward direction along the I-17. Although the suburbs thin considerably once one gets north of the 147/I-17 interchange, subdivisions continue to grow along the highway. The furthest north subdivisions are now right up against the Rio Corduva, and a professor at the University of San Paso projects that everywhere south of the river will be developed by 1967. Strip malls continue to grow at the very edge of town. In downtown, the somewhat unimpressive, 9-story Prickly Desert Hotel is just finishing construction. That concludes today's update!

Very realistic CJ so far. I like the heavy use of custom content residences, and noticed the curving streets, which is also a nice touch. Franklin Community Center and the surrounding park look very nice, and Rutledge High School also keeps with the realism. So far, this is an incredibly well-done CJ, and I am definitely looking forward to the next update.

Replies legoman786: You can have more. It only took me a bit over a year and a half for me to get to it. Kifflom112: Thanks Update 9: Condos, Offices, and Shops, Oh My! The city of San Paso continued to sprawl in all directions, with its population rapidly rising. Although the 1960 census placed Anasazi County at 602,419 people, the population figure now is believed to have passed 650,000. In the eastern suburbs, real estate developers are finding that condos tend to be very profitable. For example, Saguaro Condominiums. And the nearby Sunview Luxury Apartments. Just outside of Cepillo, the Palm Park office park has been constructed. A closer view of Palm Park. Even religion must adapt to the changing landscape. San Paso Regional Trinity Church has a large parking lot in front of it. Strip malls grow along the avenue grid. Cepillo Community College opened its doors to its first students on August 22, 1962. Parking lots near shopping centers grow larger every year. Due to the increased area traffic, the entrance to San Paso International Airport has been reconstructed. City council has discussed some possibilities of a highway from downtown to the airport, but at the moment, nothing is being planned yet. And that concludes tonight's update.

Replies kakado_to_save: Thank you. hamsterTK: Yeah... Sim City 4 isn't always the best for designing suburbs. The parking lots I've introduced recently, and I think it's partly a suburban thing. I've been to Phoenix, and I've also learned quite a bit about that city, so it's not hard to figure out that this is what I base it on. Update 8: Cepillo los Dientes Oasis- A retirement community On April 14, 1961, San Paso City Planner William Leyland announced the opening of Cepillo los Dientes Oasis (I brush my teeth Oasis, translated) It's a retirement community that can house about 45,000 people. It was constructed 5 miles northeast of downtown. The project was started in 1956. I don't feel like writing full descriptions for each picture, so I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. And an overview of the entire community. Posted May 4, 1961. That concludes this update.

Replies Zulu2065: It's okay. I'm glad to see that I've inspired you. I'll be sure to check out your journal when I see it. Update 7: Surrounding Areas There are two small towns that have yet to see the area's explosive suburban growth. These towns were smaller than Riverton or Hamilton were by the 1930s, and were founded a good 20 years later. Citrus was founded as a farming town in 1892, and Juniper Hill in 1898. This is the town of Citrus. It has about 2,000 people, and is in the exact middle between San Paso and Riverton. The small downtown of Citrus exists around the Citrus Plaza, a park in the center of town. Citrus grew up around the Citrus Lake Train Depot, constructed in the 1880s as a trading post for farmers leaving San Paso. Juniper Hill is 12 miles south of downtown San Paso. About 1,000 people live there. Downtown Juniper Hill. The hill which gives the town its name. The I-17 makes its way past Juniper Hill, continuing southwards until it reaches the Mexican border. San Paso International Airport began as a dirt landing strip in the 1920s. A commercial airline began running to it in the 1930s, and it saw a temporary career as a military airbase during World War II. The terminal was constructed and opened in 1959. The main terminal of the airport. The original buildings of the airport. A couple of manufacturing towns were built near the airport during World War 2. And that concludes our tour of Anasazi County. Stay tuned for the next update, television viewers.

Replies nathanthemayor: Thanks. I try. Zulu2065: My pictures are disappearing? That could be problematic. I'll see what I can do. Adooxx: Yeah... there's lots of things to take pictures of. zcg4755: I know, right? A little bit of effort and you get something pretty. Update 6: Hamilton and Riverton Riverton is the second largest city in Anasazi County. I don't have a map available for me at the moment. It was founded in 1878 as a farming community. Downtown Riverton has shopping and plenty of things to do. The Depot Park, built next to the train station, in the old, historic neighborhoods. Riverton is home to the Anasazi County fairgrounds. Riverton has a single rail depot with industry. Riverton city park. Riverton High School. Central Riverton shopping center, built in 1949, is a suburban styled shopping center, despite its proximity to the city's core. The Interstate Riverton Outlet is the city's other shopping center, built in 1959. Hamilton is the 3rd largest city in Anasazi County. It was founded in 1892. Like Riverton, it has seen major growth since World War II. Downtown Hamilton is built along the palm-lined Main Street. Hamilton City Hall. The Church Park Triangle. Hamilton High School. Hamilton Elementary. South Bank Shopping Center, on the road out from Hamilton. The cinema is a good place to see bad science fiction films. A factory in Hamilton. That concludes this update. After this, we're going to tour the less urbanized areas of Anasazi County, and then move on to actual time progression.

Replies nathanthemayor: Thanks. I've spent a lot of time working on the suburbs. Vern: Thank you. I feel the need to make a map because I think it's useful to help a user know San Paso. And not feel like they're just looking at randomly selected photos. Update 5: The Southern Suburbs San Paso's south is home of the university, the first of the city's modern suburbs, and a variety of attractions. Here's a map. To the west of the Rio San Paso, some newer suburbs were planned out. This is the planned community of Westside. Planned in 1952, constructed from 1954 to 1958. South San Paso is the home of the planned neighborhoods. Centerville is a suburb planned in 1955, started in 1956, and completed in 1959. South Paso Hospital is located near Centerville, opened in 1960. Jackson Creek runs through the southern suburbs. Parkview, the suburb that marked the start of the modern, uncontrolled suburban growth, was first planned in 1946, started in 1948, and completed in 1953. It was constructed along Washington Boulevard, a park lined road. Here is the northern part of Parkview. The southern part. There are two parks, built along Jackson Creek, that give Parkview its namesake. Here is one of them. The other. Stores line Washington Boulevard throughout Parkview. Washington Boulevard runs north into the city, passing neighborhoods that were built in the 1920s. The I-17 runs up towards San Paso from the south, and becomes a sunken highway as it makes its way north. Here is the freeway towards the southern edge of the suburbs, 5 miles out from downtown. The I-17 runs north, passing the university. The University of San Paso (U of SP) is 4 miles south of downtown, and when it opened, was well outside of the city. Now it is engulfed in development. Here is the entrance. The original university buildings. The university has a ballpark for their team, the San Paso Coyotes. Near the university, there is a thriving commercial district with clubs, bars, stores, and restaurants. Here is the full campus of U of SP. As one makes their way further east, they reach less planned development. Here is a spot where the 1914 avenue plan meets the 1949 grid. That concludes this update. In our next update, we'll explore Riverton and Hamilton, two of the smaller cities of the region.

Replies Vern: I used photoshop to make the map. First, I took photos of my region in map view. Then, I put them together to be as seamless as possible in Photoshop. I stretched out the photoshop image so that it appeared to be looking down vertically. I rotated it so that streets face up and down. That wasn't enough, so I then proceeded to go over it on another layer with different colored lines to represent different things. It took 2 days. The map you see is cropped... I actually have a map of everything I've developed. Adooxx: Alright. Thank you for the advice. skyscraper241: Thanks. Expect to see more RHW in the future. nathanthemayor: Thank you. I try. Muck308: I'm glad to see me continuing this too. I mean, as much as I could claim otherwise, San Paso isn't done in 1959. Update 4: The Eastern Metro The Eastern Metro, in general, is the parts of San Paso to the east of the I-17 freeway. It is thriving as suburbs continue to make their way further and further from the core. Here is a map. Uptown runs through this part of the metro, starting at the freeway and extending along Central Avenue for 2 miles, to the edge of the city's current growth. At the inner edge of uptown there are the 3 new skyscrapers. As you make your way further along, commercial growth thins (this is temporary. Planners already want to demolish older neighborhoods to connect both parts of Uptown) Warren Bankers has an office in the thinner commercial areas. Commercial development thickens into concentrations of offices and shops along Central Avenue as one enters the suburbs. Uptown continues along Central Avenue. It thins rapidly as suburbs give way to farmland. This is where uptown's end is considered to be, and that won't likely change as San Paso continues to grow eastward. Meanwhile, throughout the suburbs, commercial shopping centers are starting to appear, like the one shown below. To the northeast, new subdivisions are being plowed over the farmland. This subdivision in east San Paso represents what suburbia is all about. Meanwhile, further in town, is Pond Park, the current residence of mayoral candidate Daniel Warren. San Paso gets most of its electricity from the Greater Paso Power Station, constructed in East San Paso in 1946. High schools in the suburbs tend to have more room and better quality sports and schooling than those in the city. There's our tour. Next update, we'll take a look at the south.

Replies tonyr: Yeah... there will only be more color pics as time goes on in this CJ. Also, I really enjoy making the parks. Thanks for responding to my work. Update 3: Northern San Paso We will be covering the northern and northwestern suburbs in this update. Here is a map of northern San Paso. Mount Chance rises above Mission Hill, about 3 miles west of downtown. Suburbs grow into open desert, where the soil is too rocky and rough for farmland. These mark the foothills of the Cepillo de Dientos Mountains to the west. A little further north, the land is suitable for farmland. Subdivisions cut through crops along the floodplain of the Rio San Paso. The Rio San Paso runs through the affluent northern suburbs 2 miles north of downtown. It makes its way through thinning subdivisions another mile north of that. Wealthy suburbs often have golf courses. This suburb, built in 1950, marks the beginning of suburban growth to the north, and is located near the Rio San Paso. Commercial and new industry has grown along the new avenue grid that extends through the suburbs. This is business along Farmers Avenue (which there are now no farms on) Farmers Avenue eventually meets the I-17 freeway. The Rivers Baptist Church, constructed in 1954, is one of the larger denominations in the northern San Paso area. The Oasis Resort is part of what is known as the Oasis District, which describes everything north of Farmers Avenue, around Lincoln Avenue, or between Lincoln Avenue and I-17. It was constructed in 1930, and was well beyond city limits at the time. It is now absorbed in sprawl. The Oasis Commerce Center is at the intersection of Oasis Avenue and Lincoln Avenue. It is a bustling commercial district, and the largest one north of downtown. A spring training baseball field has found a home near the Oasis Commerce Center. The Oasis Commerce Center has a great nightlife, with bars and clubs. To the west of the Oasis District, there is the West Oasis Industrial Center, a new manufacturing and storage center constructed along the railroad. A subdivision in Oasis has a golf course. Another has a park. The Oasis Technology Center just launched last year and is a new technology center that is rapidly growing in the northern suburbs. Oasis Avenue meets the I-17 with stores and offices. The East Oasis Office Park is located near the freeway. Oasis Catholic School is a private school with a great reputation throughout the city. It is also very expensive. The I-17 bends to go westbound. It marks the northern boundary of San Paso's current suburban development. And that concludes today's update. Next time, we will tour the eastern metro area.

Replies Adooxx: Thanks. Does the end of the railroad need a pillar, though? nathanthemayor: Thank you. I try. Benedict: So it was just moved... all the links I followed, such as the one from your thread, didn't work. I thought it had been deleted. I guess I'll go edit the original post to have that link. Thank you very much. And I'm glad to be back. Looks like I couldn't stay away. I just knew I wasn't done with San Paso. Not even close. panthersimcity4: Thank you. I got inspiration for that subdivision by looking at the actual city of Phoenix. I saw a lot of extremely low density subdivisions with houses in large lots like that. Designed to look rural, even though they were in the suburbs of a major city. zcg4755: Thank you. I guess you can admire my work some more, then. selles: Thank you. I hope that this CJ turns out interesting. Update 2: Central San Paso Seeing as most of you probably don't know much about San Paso, I have decided to provide a tour of the city. Of course, it's a big city and a big region, so I will divide this into sections. We'll start with the city center. This is a map of the central areas of San Paso. The I-17 interstate highway runs through, going north to south, about a mile east of downtown, marked in red. The city started growing in the shadow of Mission Hill, which is now a state park marked in brown. The railroad runs through the city, feeding industry, colored in orange. Parks are marked in green. The Rio San Paso runs through the city, marked in blue. Downtown San Paso is the largest business district between Dallas, Texas and Los Angeles, California. The San Paso skyline is dominated mostly by skyscrapers built in the Roaring '20s. It has a distinct look to it. San Paso originally grew around the intersection of Central Avenue and Apache Street. For years, this had been the acknowledged business center of San Paso. It stayed as such throughout the city's early history, and downtown's oldest surviving buildings stand here. The Grand Union Station is the city's major train depot. The intersection of Central Avenue and Lincoln Avenue is the central intersection and the center of the business district of San Paso. Carnegie Library overlooks a park. The Palm Parkway was a Public Works construction, and is now a landmark distinct to downtown San Paso. From 1929 until this year, the Silk Tower (renamed from a company tower name when the company moved out in 1937) was the tallest building in San Paso. Nearby, the old mayor's house, constructed in 1877, stands as a museum. San Paso Catholic Church overlooks Pine Park, one of the oldest parks in the city. The church is on the edge of downtown. To the south of downtown, there is a ballpark. Lincoln Avenue turns into Lincoln Boulevard, another one of San Paso's distinct palm-lined parkways. Central Avenue leads east from downtown, through some older neighborhoods, towards the highway. San Paso spent the turn of the century switching from an agricultural to an industrial economy. By the time World War II ended, it had become the industrial powerhouse of the Southwest. Industry first began in San Paso around 1890, along the banks of the Rio San Paso. Industry has since expanded along the riverbanks... ...to the bottom of Mission Hill... ...and along the railroads. The railroad system in San Paso is complex, and there are many railyards in the industrial core of the city. Central Park is the city's largest park. It is right next to the I-17 freeway. The freeway runs past Washington High School, which is located in an upscale neighborhood about a mile away from the downtown intersection. Uptown begins on the east side of the freeway, along Central Avenue. The current tallest buildings in the city were just constructed last year. They replace the city's "first suburb", which had been constructed in 1895. Old neighborhoods surround downtown. They tend to have higher crime rates than homes in the suburbs. Housing projects can be seen to the north of downtown. El Barrio Grande is the city's largest immigrant workers neighborhood, located in the shadow of Mission Hill. To the north of that, another industrial workers neighborhood exists. Some residents have already picked up their things and ran for homes in the suburbs. Crime rates are skyrocketing. And that concludes this update, with a tour of the central San Paso area. In the next update, we will explore the northern suburbs.