Vitruvius

Some of you may be interested to read this lengthy blog post I wrote, analysing why I have enjoyed playing SmCity for the past decade. My blog i primarily read by an audience interested in architecture and design but unfamiliar with SimCity, so I do a lot of explaining that might seem quite basic to many of you. It also contains a couple of links to some other things I've written about SC. Anyway, enjoy. (Resumes lurking.)

He talks about how SC was inspired by architecture, and the interaction between architecture and computer games. It's new, and quite interesting. http://www.iconeye.com/articles/20080122

TEP: Holding down "Ctrl" while dragging out a lot with prevent the game subdividing it into smaller lots. You might also want to experiment with pressing "alt" while zoning - it brings up a different configuration.

Amazing, amazing stuff. Your maps are beautiful.

I'm with Tonkso on this one. My plans for new cities from scratch will always focus on ensuring there's a good central havy rail network with two or three big central stations, and lines radiating out in all directions, occasionally branching and linking to regional centres that act as secondary hubs. Like this: Subways, buses and light rail can then fill in the gaps. This arrangement seems to wwrok very well - my rail networks are always very busy, and my transit departments are always net contributors to the city budget - I earn more from fares than I pay out in maintenance. Plus, I think really busy rail junctions look cool:

What if the Trojans had been a shade less trusting and rejected the wooden horse? What if Troy had survived and thrived? What if Trojan society had carried on, a third successful classical empire to match Greece and Rome? I know that I have another CJ, Astoria/Crowther, on the go and I'm still very committed to that. But I'm also developing Troy, and frankly I'm too enthusiastic about it to keep it to myself. So here's 14 teaser pics, in no particular order, which will show you how I go about building cities. TROY http://img372.imageshack.us/img372/1672/troy69xm.jpg align=baseline> http://img474.imageshack.us/img474/8251/troy104lz.jpg align=baseline> http://img474.imageshack.us/img474/1995/troy115ep.jpg align=baseline> http://img387.imageshack.us/img387/8334/troy85vb.jpg align=baseline> http://img474.imageshack.us/img474/1381/troy126uc.jpg align=baseline> http://img372.imageshack.us/img372/5964/troy22kv.jpg align=baseline> http://img474.imageshack.us/img474/6641/troy95hj.jpg align=baseline> http://img474.imageshack.us/img474/9516/troy135kb.jpg align=baseline> http://img387.imageshack.us/img387/1815/troy78fg.jpg align=baseline> http://img372.imageshack.us/img372/6083/troy14us.jpg align=baseline> http://img372.imageshack.us/img372/6088/troy35om.jpg align=baseline> http://img357.imageshack.us/img357/9363/troy141yh.jpg align=baseline> http://img372.imageshack.us/img372/7581/troy51nh.jpg align=baseline>

Responses: Sloppet: Thanks pal! Jacqulina: Thank you again. I should make some "honorary citizenship" certificates - you'd certainly be first in the queue. wouanagaine: Thank you! dale_bel: Thank you! yoder7652: Thank You! Any, it's been too long, so here's an update. Update 7: The Harbour Crossing Troy is built around a harbour at the confluence of the Simois and Scamander rivers. In recent years land was reclaimed from the harbour to give room for commerical interests to expand. However, These artificial islands didn't get any passing traffic and weren't really big enough to be big successes. So, I embarked on a hugely ambitious (c. $2,000,000) project to build a series of bridges across the harbour, linking up and expanding the reclaimed islands, and reclaiming more land behind them to better integrate them with the city centre. It was enormous fun. I love huge projects like this. I never much liked the way this beach looked, right next to he Grand Canal, so it was the first thing to go. Here it is all filled in ... And zoned ... And with development starting ... Now for the hard part: the harbour crossing. It starts over here, just south of a wealthy inner suburb, as what used to be the terminus of one of the roads to the airport, the avenue to the left. A new tongue of land must be reclaimed without damaging either the ferry port or the fishing harbour. And here, preparing the ground on the opposite side of the Simois river: The first phase completed, with the beautiful new bridge: Linking the bridge into the road network: This is the site of the next phase. The spit with the lighthouse on it will be expanded to take a motorway, and more river-front land will be reclaimed to building offices along the new shoreline and avenue. After works: Landscaping around the new Harbour Bridge: This is where the final connection will be built. All that dirty industry is to be demolished, and the shoreline embanked. More of the harbour will be reclaimed. Harbour reclamation - you can see the former shoreline: And an overview of the completed project, spanning the harbour and connecting up the islands: And in this view, the brighter areas are the ones worked on:

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned Oxford vs Cambridge. Their rivalry dates back almost 700 years, and has frequently been violent. Cambridge Uni. was set up by disgruntled students from Oxford. After Cranmer, Latimer and Ridley were burned, it was said "Cambridge produces martyrs; Oxford burns them". Oxford was Royalist in the Civil War - Cambridge went with Cromwell. To Oxford, Cambridge is: - Cold - Small - Bleak - Haughty - Not as old as Oxford - Not as beautiful as Oxford - Far past its prime as a university. To Cambridge, Oxford is: - arrogant and lazy - crowded and dirty - expensive - in decline - Not as distinguished as Cambridge - Not as beautiful as Cambridge - Far past its prime as a university. However, because of the internal rivalries between the townsfolk and the universities, there is occasionally inverted competition - Oxford townsmen supporting Cmabridge in the boat race, for instance. I feel qualified to expound on this because I grew up in Oxford but studied in Cambridge, and love both cities!

I think the OCAD building is extremely beautiful. I interviewed Will Alsop not long after its completion on the nature of beauty, indeed. He said: "I think that’s an important distinction to make, that beauty comes from taking your eye off the ball. Now it’s a very difficult thing to define, what is beautiful, because we all have different attitudes towards that. But it’s important to try and make some definition towards of what beauty is. “I think certainly in the urban context and in the architectural context it’s the ability to make a place or a space that you feel comfortable in when doing nothing. I think that’s a fair definition in much the same way that you can go into, say, somewhere like cathedrals, and it doesn’t matter whether or not you have any religious conviction, but to actually sit in those places is a very satisfying experience. It obviously touches the soul in some way or another. And I’m interested in that and I think it’s possible to do that even in the centre of rather busy and bustling cities.” I tend to agree. And I like the Corbusier Ville Savoye and Ronchamps buildings, also. Much nicer than dreary, polite postmodern formality.

I might as well update again today since I've been neglectful for so long and have time on my hands. Some of these pics "aren't quite perfect", in the sense that they contain a bit of dilapidation, some unzoned areas that should be zoned, some terraforming in progress and other such ugliness, but I think they look OK on the whole. Update 6: The New Parliament & surroundings This is the old parliament we saw in the last update: Those blue towers are residential skyscrapers nearby - probably popular with politicians. The pagoda-style building is a hospitality complex built in 1904 to mark the 650th anniversary of the birt of Marco Polo - A large conference with delegates from Europe and Asia was held there to celebrate Troy's links with East and West. As I said above, the New Parliament was a controversial slab of modernism: The centra arch, dominating the avenue from the Old Parliament, is the Assembly Building itself. The four blue low-rise buildings are the offices of the four chambers of the Trojan tercameral system. The area known as the "Secretariat", comprising ministries and offices, is visible on the left, above the rail station. Another view: Close-up on the Assembly Building: A different angle: The far side of the Assembly Buildings is where the Gardens of Fabius begin, with two beautiful pavilions used for public speaking and protests. The gardens stretch into the next city, Troy Occident, and we'll see the rest another time. Troy is proud to be an EU member: This is the monorail station, part of Troy's City Circuit monorail system. The TCC was absurdly expensive (I'll do an update following its route in the future), because of the city's somewhat mountainous hinterlands. You'll see here that the station is in a pit - that's because the line has to go underground for most of its time in central Troy. In game terms, this link cost a simply astronomical amount of money - I think something like $2,000,000. And that's taxpayers' money backed up with loans, I'm not using cheats. That was just for this one city - the TCC passes through six of the 14 game cities that make up Greater Troy. The Court of the Oracle, the government's spiritual wing, which advises on faith and ethics. You can see the monorail underneath. The office of the Protector, and its gardens. That deconstructivist building on the lower right is the Trojan National Broadcasting HQ. The blue glass tower is the Directorate for Commerce, Industry and Economic Development. A view of Hadrian Square, heart of the Secretariat: Another view: And another: And a last one. Note the landscaped railway line in the background: On the other side of the complex, the National Stadium (please forgive the undeveloped land and visible terraforming): Another view of the National Stadium (The sail-shaped light blue building is a hotel): And to finish, an overview of the area so you can see how it all fits together:

Great presentation! This looks great.

Update 5 It's becoming something of a habit to start every update with an apology for not updating more regularly. I get married in two months and to complicate things I lost my job last month, so things have been a bit busy. On top of that I have a health problem and after the honeymoon have to go into hospital for a while! Nothing serious, but it's all so stressful I think they should fit me with a special jacket and hurl me into a nice padded room for good measure. Anyway, I have been able to work on Troy a bit. This update will be more about the Trojan government though. Here's a conception of what the real Troy might have looked like: And my (rather liberal) interpretation of that: Other than the water, not too bad I thought - and I'm planning to explain more about the geography of the Scamander estuary later. Anyway, thanks all for commenting. Bongoswimp: Thanks. I like a nice triumphal avenue. If you liked that one, wait until you see the Mall in the Capitol complex ... Fabiocb: Thanks mate, nice to see you here again! I'll have to allocate Rasec an embassy soon I think ... PhilsCafe: Thanks Phil, nice to see you again too. Plenty more canals to come when we have a look at the Upper Canal District and the Museums complex. mayormommy: Traffic around the old city isn't too bad at the moment, but commuter traffic between the main business areas is a nightmare despite one of the most overblown freeway and heavy rail networks I have ever built. cityhawk: Thank you! Please stay tuned! jacqulina: Thank you! Sisu: Thanks you! Sloppet: Thanks! dedgren: Those ferry landings work OK for me: ... however I think they have to be absolutely level with the water and connected into the road network, so keep trying. Nardo69: Thanks! I've now got the modular cemetery pack, but I don't want to rebuild the National Cemetery just yet ... Maybe later. I think I'm all backed up - But I'll rough it on Troy without NAM and install it once it's finished/I tire of it/it crashes. DaMaster_architect: Thank you sir! wouanagaine: Thanks mate! Genesus gave me some great inspiration for the suburbs I'm now building. jacqulina: Two lovely comments on one update! rewright: Thank you, I admit it's a bit of a hodgepodge - I hope to post an overview soon so you can see how it all fits together. Update 5: Affairs of State (and some random bonus pics) National Flag of the Perpetual Republic of Troy: Troy became a republic during the succession crises brought on by the decline of Rome after 300AD. What had been intended as a temporary protectorate to keep the Throne of Hector and Priam warm - the Temporary Republic - soon crystallised into the so-called Perpetual Republic. Additions and reforms to that system soon mutated it into its present rather odd form. The Perpetual Republic is a "tercameral" system, meaning consisting of four chambers rather than the more commonplace "bicameral" two-chamber system (such as Britain's Commons and Lords, the USA's Senate and Congress, etc.) The four chambers are these: 1. The People's Congress, directly elected by universal suffrage under proportional representation. 2. The National Congress, directly elected by universal suffrage, with prefects representing individual prefectures (districts). 3. The Perpetual Senate. Filled by appointees nominated by any part of the system, as long as they receive the approval of three out of four chambers. Senators hold office for life, unless they resign, are impreached, or convicted of a crime. This is the linchpin of the system, where most power rests. 4. The Courts Temporal and Sublime: Consists of the secular Supreme Court and the multi-faith Court of the Oracle. Justices nominated from within the legal system and from the Council of the Trojan Church; must be approved by the Perpetual Senate and one of the two congresses. Above all this is the head of state, the rather grandly named Protector of the Hectorian Throne. The Protector is mainly a figurehead but has powers of veto over legislation produced by the chambers. He or she serves a single eight-year term, may could conceivably to reappointed. Governments must be pieced together from the congresses and can be censured or even dismissed by the Perpetual Senate. Phew! That's the theory. Now, let's take an example. Imagine I am a loyal Trojan citizen in, say, the prefecture of Hellespontus. In general elections, I would vote vote a political party, not an individual - let's say I voted Civic Democrat because I like the leader's toga. My vote would be added to the national total of those who vote - and let's say that nationally CivDems get 27% of the vote - that means they get 27% of the seats in the People's Congress, the top 27% of names on the party list. (#1 would be the leader, #2 deputy leader, etc.) When the national elections come around two years later, however, I am voting for an individual who will represent my prefecture - so local issues affect my choice more. So I vote Social League, because they increased school funding. And if their candidate gets a clear majority in my prefecture, he or she goes and sits in the National Congress. Coalition governments are then cobbled together with the results. Meanwhile, the Perpetual Senate and the sprawling Civil Service quietly get on with running the country. Overall, the system promotes continuity, consensus, stability and moderation - but also stasis, apathy and bureaucracy. The Old Parliament is the embodiment of the system in stone. Four chambers facing a central courtyard, on a ridge overlooking the ancient city, but removed from it. But as modernity crept on, and government became a more and more elborate business. Before the end of the 19th century, the parliament could not conceivably contain all the offices it required, and spilled out into a vast and unplanned complex called the Secretariat. Parks and gardenswere overrun - the calm governmental campus imagined by the original planners was becoming as crowded as the old city. By the 1970s, the area was not only confusing - it was aging, expensive to maintain, and totally unsuited to the demands placed upon it. Drastic action was required. In 1985, legislation was enacted for the construction of a new parliamentary complex. The design restraints were these: 1. The complex should be adjacent to the existing parliament and share its historic axis. 2. The complex should echo the four-square design of the existing parliament and the Trojan system. 3. The complex should include a surfeit of modern office space for all four chambers. 4. The complex should be built around a mall on the historic axis and replace the parks and public space lost in recent years. 5. The complex should include a new monorail station, linked with the existing rail station, on the route of the Ring Monorail then inching its way around the city. Out of hundreds of designs produced, one stood out. Its boldness was breathtaking, and its uncompromising modernity scandalised the public and the press, dominating debate for months. Extraordinarily, it was approved and built, at ghastly expense. We'll tour it in the next update. A couple of random pics: A new neighbourhood exploding on the banks of the Simois river. It is, surprise surprise, now rather grotty. When things accidentally go right, part one. This pic was taken when I was developing the area around the central airport (it has changed utterly now to accommodate the Ring Monorail). Those straight pedestrian plazas double as bus stops - and the game has, entirely unintentionally, set up a airport bus service between the station and the terminal! I love it when the AI surprises you in little ways like that. And here's historic Market Street in the Harbour District - all skyscrapers now, sadly. More soon I hope - there's a lot of lovely stuff built, I'm just fiddling with details.

A Chaumontian "Orange Revolution"! Aux Armes, citoyens! Liberte, Egalite, Simcite! This is the only show in town right now.

Fabulous, fabulous stuff. Raising the bar again. The Perpetual Republic of Troy expresses its concern for Chaumont's stability and has ordered the recall of all Trojan visitors to the capital for the time being. We trust that this terrible matter can be settled swiftly and without further bloodshed.

Really, really beautiful stuff - bravo! This is certainly a CJ to watch. The steps in the pedestrian area are brilliant. Where did you get the "aristocratic French homes" we can see by the Botanical Gardens, and by the cathedral?

Fabulous update - Chaumont continues to set the standard for CJs. The Perpetual Republic of the Hectorian Throne congratulates Chaumont on its independent space programme, a remarkable achievement for any country. As an EU member, Troy launches its espion weather satellites on ESA Arianes out of French Guyana. I'm sure Trojan National Broadcasting will add INN to its channels swiftly. Beautiful BAT work, the attention to detail is stunning.

Hello everyone, and welcome to the Republic of Astoria, my second attempt at a City Journal. My first attempt was Delanda, which was going OK until the saved game file became corrupted somehow and I was left with a hole in the middle of my region view where downtown used to be. This was a bit of a pain, since it was growing nicely and people had said some nice things about it, but I wasn't too upset because I was eager to apply what I had learned building Delanda to a new and more interesting city. (My sig pic still links to Delanda if you want to see it.) I learned the following things from Delanda: 1. Flat terrain is easy. Easy is dull. 2. Ambitious, outlandish and expensive terraforming, buildings and plans may be unrealistic, but look fabulous. Lovers of the realistic can go and live in Swindon.* 3. Story is good. I take my cues from Chaumont, Giran de Cani, and others with great stories. (* This is not intended to denigrate incredible UK-style CJs like Birmingsfield and Thames, which I admire intensely.) All these rules I decided to apply to the Republic of Astoria, my new SimNation, Crowther, its capital, and the other towns, cities and rural areas it contains. So let's get out the well-thumbed, trusty guidebook and get started ... http://img351.imageshack.us/img351/9900/astoriaguide4ri.jpg align=baseline> This is the national flag of the Republic of Astoria. The three stars represent Orion's Belt, after the Orion Proclamation, which in 1805 started in train the series of events that led to the foundation of the Republic 43 years later. http://img277.imageshack.us/img277/461/astoriaflag27ab.jpg align=baseline> Here is the slightly more elaborate ceremonial version of the flag. The Latin motto means Justice and wisdom for all. Again, Orion is featured, but the whole system instead of just the belt. http://img277.imageshack.us/img277/9373/astoriaflag9sp.jpg align=baseline> And here's a transport map of development so far - Crowther, the sprawling capital city, Port Crowther to the west, and the small town of Seyssel to the south. http://img274.imageshack.us/img274/7606/yaqina11322575438xv.png align=baseline> Obviously, This isn't a finished, realistic city - there are huge gaps and undeveloped areas, roads that lead nowhere, and so on - but the final form is beginning to take shape. A satellite view of central Crowther: http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/2199/yaqina11322576143td.png align=baseline> And a map with a rough adminstrative guide drawn over it. The thicker line is the rough boundary of Greater Crowther, the thinner lines its internal districts. Please excuse the roughness of the diagram, a far more polished version will be produced later. Un-named areas and undeveloped areas will be developed and names. The city is still a work in progress. http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/2526/gcrowthadmin8iz.jpg align=baseline> Here's a thumbnail guide to some of the districts: The Old Town: beautiful historic heart of the city. part of it is on the cover of the guide book. Ineson: Second-oldest part of the city. Beautiful parks, the cathedral, the old waterfront and a good deal of more modern development. Northside: Really two districts. Heavy office development, tall buildings, and the central station. Chrysler: More office development - this district is partly reclaimed land and partly an area of dirty industry that was cleared and regenerated. Like London's Canary Wharf. Durham: Home to Crowther University, the largest in Astoria, and its students. Also popular with commuters and workers in high-tech industry. Eastbank: A large industrial area - a lot of high tech, and the others. Nonsuch: I'm planning it now. It'll be mixed commercial and resi. Tyndall Park: The oldest resi area on the west bank. Looks lovely, and the park itself is breathtaking. South Crowther: Huge, over-powerful, slightly slummy area. The small town of Seyssel hates S Crowther. Olympia: The Olympic district - home of the Olympic stadium and village. Riverside: High-density resi. The riverfront itself is rather attractive. Virgil Island: This will be low-density suburb. Beaumont Beach: Low-density suburb. Beaumont: A secondary business district - a satellite downtown. Northgate: The commercial and governmental heart of the Republic. Lucerne: This will be mixed resi and commercial. Nice lakeside setting. That's all for now. The next update will be a tour of the Old Town.

I love the idea of including a thumbnail region view marking the location of the shot in each pic. You've put real thought and dedication into this. Well done.

Answers, answers: Simmax: Thank you! You know, I really hadn't noticed that the streets were so empty. The old town actually has a bit of a traffic problem normally. I'll try and capture more life in future. Mayormommy: Thanks! But, why would fewer bridges cut congestion? I would have thought that the more the merrier. Refsgotpaid: Thanks! Region and broader pics will follow in time. I'm fleshing out the suburbs and environs. UnkleS27: That is the Estacao da Luz, Sao Paulo, by Frogface - you'll find it if you search the STEX for "Estacao". Bernhard: I'm a bit suspicious of the NAM. I haven't downloaded it yet, I don't want to screw up my existing cities. FabioCB: Thanks Fabs. I hope you got my message about the Wagner building. Rooker1: Thanks - the locks are by Oppie, as are all those beautiful canals. Jacqualina: Thank you so much! Cityhawk: Thank you! I think I know what you mean about the road crossings - I'm trying to create a crowded medieval feel. The Upper Canal District is a bit more restrained and formal. Update 4: The National Cemetry Some pictures of the National Resting-Place for the Heroic Defenders of the Hectorian Throne, not far from classical Troy. It is a Christian burial site - many Trojans adopted Christianity after the conversion of the Emperor Constantine in the 4th Century AD. However, Christians are not the majority, and Trojan Jews, Muslims and adherents of the Old Gods have their own official devotional sites. The Mausoleum of Hector overlooks the Cemetery; the Avenue of the Names of Dead Heroes stretches towards the Burial Grounds. Troy is surrounded by wetlands. The canalisation of the Simois river in the 18th and 19th centuries deprived the National Cemetery of its waterfront position, but part of its old embankment is still maintained to prevent further encroachment by the city's massive growth, which looms on all sides. Nearby is a small soccer stadium and recreation area overlooking the classical city. That's all for now. On edit: I really, really hate this new posting interface. It is impossible.

Answers to correspondents: Sloppet: Thank you! I don't get a great deal of free time to fiddle with these cities what with work and family, but I will be keeping this up despite long silences. USA Patriot: Thanks very much! I find really detailed work - fiddling and fiddling and fiddling until it looks "just right" really quite calming. FabioCB: Thanks! Jacqualina: Thank you! Frymon: Thank you! Drop in any time! Off we go ... Troy: Update 3: Lower Canal District First, a mosaic overview of the area we'll be looking at. This is my first mosaic, so apologies if it doesn't work. The LCD was Troy's business heart for centuries, and has thrived since the Middle Ages. Now, it's somewhat quieter and has become more of a tourist destination than an economic powerhouse. Wooden Horse Square, Which is where we left the last tour, dominated by the Grand Trojan Hotel: You can see the start of the Grand Canal next to the square - the Grand Canal acts as a historic spine for the whole city. The Law Courts, overlooking the canal: The Winter Gardens: The N3 Expressway penetrates the historic core - it was a controversial project to say the least! The Grand Canal and National Exchange, the precursor to the TroNax stock exchange: St Mark's, the Protestant cathedral: The Old Schools, Troy's ancient university: The Orthodox Cathedral: The Opera House: Customs buildings and merchants' places on the Canal: Canal Street Station (one of the city's busiest and most important, despite not being the official main station): That's all for now.

I love the sprawling look, it must have taken ages. Also, the regimented ranks of the St Ritzy hotel look really strong - walking down that street but be like being in Vegas! Your blend of zones, water, land and green space is pleasingly diverse, but seems a bit chaotic - do you plan on a regional basis, or just city by city? Regional planning - for instance plotting the course of a freeway through five cities at once, linking them all more efficiently - can reap great benefits. I also like to give my sprawls a focal point, a primary centre - but that's a matter of taste, many real world sprawls don't have that or have several centres. Keep going, I'll certainly check back.

Hello everyone. I'm sorry it has taken me so long to update this journal. I've been exceptionally busy at work, and also recently bought Civilisation 4 which I've been playing heavily (great game). Also, I wanted to be certain to update with a bit of a bang, and my play style involves a hell of a lot of time and patience. I'll answer your comments first. slann: Thank you! Troy is only going to be loosely based on history. Its mere survival would be a miracle - it would have to fight off the Greeks, the Persians, the Romans, the barbarians, the Muslim Caliphate, possibly the Crusaders, the Golden Horde, the Arabs again, Venice, Russia, France, Britain, Russia again, the Nazis, and the Soviet Union. A tall order. ginchael: No. This is actually a map of Lagos from the STEX. I just liked it. As I said, loosely based. sloppet: Thank you! cnystrom1: Thank you! chocolatemax285: Thank you! I don;t have much to work on re: what Troy might have looked like, so I'm making it up as I go along. By the way, I love your Avatar. Nardo69: Thank for the tips. I've rebuilt that railway junction, you'll be able to see it in a future update. I'm doing all I can to avoid steps, but want to stick with Marrast's walls because I prefer the effect. jacqulina: Thank you! mayormommy: Thank you! Brad Pitt is, sadly, still not on the STEX, but you'll see some classica BATS in this update. Micah: Thanks! I'm quite new to sea walls, this is the first region of mine to use them extensively. decola: I'm afraid you may be a bit disappointed. cifa: Thank you! superchad: Thank you! pipishere: Thank you! rustalot42684: The pics I showed aren't coastal, they're on a lagoon, but point taken. I'm just using Troy as a creative jumping-off point. soldyne: I had no idea that Troy had rail road technology. - Oh, it will, it will ... Cjah: Thanks! I wasn't expecting that much interest on a CJ with hardly any buildings yet ... PhilsCafe: Thanks Phil! If you like canals, I hope you'll find a lot to like about this CJ ... Anyway, let's get on with update #1: CLASSICAL TROY This is what remains of the ancient city of Hector and Helen. Today, it is a World Heritage Site. The walls are long gone but for a single gate. http://img317.imageshack.us/img317/1767/classicaloverview6kp.jpg align=baseline> The famed topless towers of Ilium - a few still stand, unburned. http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/2971/toplesstowers7ih.jpg align=baseline> Some general views: http://img480.imageshack.us/img480/1866/classicalview20qs.jpg align=baseline> http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/3089/classicalview16jx.jpg align=baseline> http://img480.imageshack.us/img480/6428/classicalview46pp.jpg align=baseline> Although the city's mighty defences are long gone, the great gate has been kept - it is topped by an equine statue of Hector, Vanquisher of the Achaeans, and overlooks Wooden Horse Square, where the cowardly, treacherous Greeks attempted their famous deception: http://img390.imageshack.us/img390/1672/horsesquare13ue.jpg align=baseline> http://img390.imageshack.us/img390/600/horsesquare29rw.jpg align=baseline> That's all for now.

Hello. I've lurked on this site for years, and started posting infrequently a few months ago, but have never properly introduced myself. How rude! My name is Will and I live in London, England. I'm a journalist and writer. Sim City (the first one) was the first PC game I ever owned, and I still play the original now and then. SC4 is the finest computer game ever made. My user name comes from the Roman writer Vitruvius, who detailed the ideal location, form and makeup of a city in his Ten Books On Architecture. He was the first urbanist. Hello!

Micah: Thanks - I recycled the name Astoria because I liked it, but I hope Crowther is a significant improvement on DeLanda Vegeta the Puppet: Thanks! mayormommy: I'm normally a bit more careful with my demolitions, and to be honest I can't quite remember why I chose the Deep Impact school of redevelopment now. Must have just been feeling bored or mischievous. Megaprojects like this are hugely entertaining to do, I agree. Update 8: MEGAPROJECTS #2: The Ineson ferry terminal Crowther has fair, but not great, public transport. The heavy rail infrastructure is excellent and heavily used - the jewel in the crown. The Metro/light rail netowrk is good in parts, but under-developed for a city this size (now 1,200,000 in Greater Crowther, 820,000 downtown). With the exception of a couple of short-range shuttles, the bus system is non-existent, a real flaw in the city. The big surprise is the River Rhane ferry service - it's excellent and heavily used. This is purely by chance - I never intended the river to be so important to city transport. The network developed almost by accident. This ad-hoc development means there was one big flaw in the ferry network - it didn't run to Ineson, the most important Rhane-side district by far. Here's a map to show you what I mean: http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/659/proposal6ek.jpg align=baseline> Pink spot #1 is the central station, the hub of the whole train, metro and CLR network. There are no ferry terminals near it. Spot #2 is the Chrysler Ferryport. It's well-used, but as you see, it's stuck all the way out at the edge of downtown. Also, its connectivity with the rest of the transport network is poor. (I'm a real integrated transport fan.) Spot #3 is where the proposed Ineson Ferryport. As we can see here, that's not the easiest spot to build in: http://img473.imageshack.us/img473/2414/conservationarea3gt.jpg align=baseline> The area shaded in light blue is heavily protected by the municipal authorities and national heritage groups. It MUST NOT BE DAMAGED. As you can see, that leaves very little room for manoeuvre. After some wrangling between the municipal government, the Crowther Area Transport Authority, heritage and cultural groups, and landowners, it was agreed that the following buildings could be demolished: http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/2636/demolitions4ys.jpg align=baseline> The new ferry development had to meet the following criteria: 1. It had to add to, not subtract from, the business, retail and leisure facilities around it. 2. It must replace the demolished office space at least three times over on the site. 3. The new office building should match or exceed the aesthetic quality of the lost buildings. 4. It should be very high capacity. 5. It should be directly connected to the central station by heavy rail and bus, and to Ineson Plaza station by a metro link via the Corniche. Clearly, land reclamation would be required. This was the (very) rough proposal outline: http://img350.imageshack.us/img350/5117/plans8ps.jpg align=baseline> And ... This is what was built: http://img350.imageshack.us/img350/9669/finished7ns.jpg align=baseline> The development was a HUGE success. Just look at the transit map for proof: http://img350.imageshack.us/img350/3456/terminalusage5jw.jpg align=baseline> And t