When to start a new residential/commercial city?

[destroyer1432]

http://s1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc413/alacritas/Simcity%204%20Deluxe%20screenshots/?action=view&current=Argusville-Apr3081287936691.png

Follow the link to the picture of my city

Hi, I was wondering when you would know to create a new residential/commercial city, because mine does not seem to be growing much anymore. So if you have any suggestions, please let me know.


thanks Destroyer1432

p.s. my residential and commercial are combined into one city.

[Citybuilder25]

If you haven't, you could up the density of the commercial areas. If you have and nothing is growing, I suppose you could create an industrial city to the left of the city, connecting it with the residential/commercial city.

[destroyer1432]

I already have done all of that, so I'm not really sure for right now.

[cogeo]

The problem is that you don't have a worthy commercial development. This is probably because you have many high-capacity networks close to the residential areas. Sims go straight to the highways, draining all the traffic off your commercial areas. Commercial needs high-traffic (=customers) in front of them. Maybe rearrange your networks so that your sims travel some distance on the avenues to get to the highway, and zone high-density C along their routes.

[travismking]

Also, if you are using the CAM, this is noticeably more necessary than vanilla rush hour

[tag_one]

The problem is that you don't have a worthy commercial development. This is probably because you have many high-capacity networks close to the residential areas. Sims go straight to the highways, draining all the traffic off your commercial areas. Commercial needs high-traffic (=customers) in front of them. Maybe rearrange your networks so that your sims travel some distance on the avenues to get to the highway, and zone high-density C along their routes.

So true! Another option is some urban renewal. Demolish some of the residentials along the highway and zone commercial there instead. If you have a lot of traffic on the highway and your commercial lots are facing their backs directly to the highway, those lots will be very attractive.
For additional traffic on your highway you can decide to build some suburbs with mainly residentials. Those sims then have to travel to your downtown to go to work.

[travismking]

and, if this is your only city, you may not have enough regional population to support commercial skyscrapers, I dont see any highrise commercials there, so I suspect this may be it, you cant just build high-density from the start and have it all develop, I dont remember the exact stage limits for vanilla SC4, but I know it takes a lot of regional commercial capacity to get commercial skyscrapers

[cogeo]

If you have a lot of traffic on the highway and your commercial lots are facing their backs directly to the highway, those lots will be very attractive.

Didn't know this trick! I have always been regarding avenues as "high-capacity conduits", but of no use otherwise. And I use to plant two rows (tiles) of trees along the hwy, to counter pollution and noise, which means a lot of wasted space. Do the (C) lots need to be adjacent to the hwy (with their backs) or I can leave some empty/planted space (and how much)?

[travismking]

i believe they count the traffic up to 3 tiles away, but I could be wrong... Ive had CO$$$ 3 tiles away from the main avenue showing High customers, and the road it is near has hardly any traffic. The simulator is kinda unpredictable when it comes to this, so Im not sure if this was an isolated incident

[destroyer1432]

thanks for all of the help. I actually removed the commercial from that city and created a seperate city altogether for only commmercial, only residential, and only industrial, becuase that tended to work when I used to play the game.

[wallasey]

Have a few more neighbour connections...I only see the highways going into the next city! Get rid of the university building for more commercial or industrial land...the land take would be of greater employment benefit then. Think about the same for the cemetery and stadium. Is the Casino bringing any monetary benefit?

I agree with the above, sometimes it takes a little patience

[RippleJet]

i believe they count the traffic up to 3 tiles away, but I could be wrong...

It's all depending on the tracts.
For all demand and desirability checks the city is divided into tracts, which are 4×4 tiles.
Thus, if the highway runs along the side of the tract, you will have a positive effect from the traffic as far as three tiles away.
On the other hand, you may also find that a highway nextdoor is in fact in the neighbouring tract from your commercial tile...

To see the tracts, zoom out enough, so that the grid (press G for it) only covers every fourth tile.

[j-dub]

Usually, when it comes to developing higher up, they can get very picky about water, electricity, traffic, pollution, and so on, something about desirability levels.

[Lowkee33]

To see the tracts, zoom out enough, so that the grid (press G for it) only covers every fourth tile.

In order for me to get this effect I need to hold the G key down.  Otherwise it will just flash for a second.