Downtown Fair Banks was too planned and its roads too small. Episode 7 unlocks large roads and the city hall, rebuilds blocks for bigger buildings, widens two-lane roads to four lanes with small roundabouts, adds underground parking that fills instantly (fees up to 20), reworks the end of the highway, and pushes high-density housing towards the ocean.
What happens in this episode
Episode 7 of Fair Banks County was recorded the day before Christmas, after a few busy weeks. A new HDMI cable and 1440p instead of 4K gave a smoother 60–70 fps. The goal: downtown looked too planned and not organic enough, and its roads were too small for what was coming.
How it was built
Development points
17 points were waiting. They go into large roads, the technical university, the fire watchtower, a firefighter helicopter depot and the city hall. I skipped the intersection presets because I’ll build my own. The central bank (lower loan interest, cheaper imports, better export profits) was tempting, but the city hall was enough for now.
Rebuilding blocks
Some blocks lose their road access in the rebuild, so I let them rebuild themselves. It’s a big step, but it gives downtown room for larger buildings. A hotel is nudged with snapping off to make room for a small roundabout. Medium density goes in the middle, low density beyond, with a park and paths so people can cross without too many roads.
Four lanes and underground parking
A widened road means the roads around it need widening too: two-lane roads become four-lane roads, and another roundabout goes in. Traffic lights and pedestrian crossings go. An underground parking garage downtown filled instantly with 206 parked vehicles, so the fee rose to 17 and then 20, and another garage went in. That matches real North American cities. In Boston, expect $40 for a few hours, and New York, LA and San Francisco are just as bad.
The end of the highway
The highway’s end looked odd and would become a traffic problem as downtown grows towards it. Bulldozing parts of it is awkward, because you can only remove a stretch with the rest of the road. The rebuild keeps the highway at 10 m to pass over the railway, and the lanes are switched. The manual roundabouts lose their traffic lights and pedestrian overpasses, which nobody needs on highway ramps. An extra connection helps drivers coming from one direction, and soon the first yellow car was using the new overpass.
High-rises along the coast
A four-lane road marks the next serious district. Parking lots under roads and railways are a huge improvement over the first game and much more realistic. Trees stop wild parking next to a roundabout. A district rework for parking rules is planned. A fire station provides security against forest fires. A high-voltage line and substation stabilise the power, with a geothermal plant running at 80% efficiency.
The towers along the coast grow a little taller than the first row, because everyone wants an ocean view. I’m earning more than I’m spending, which to me means I should invest more in the city.
Video chapters
- 00:00Too planned, roads too small
- 04:15Development points: large roads, city hall
- 08:32Rebuilding blocks around a roundabout
- 13:04Four lanes and underground parking
- 17:04Parking demand like Boston
- 21:10Reworking the end of the highway
- 32:59Roundabouts without lights or crossings
- 40:50High-rises further along the coast
- 50:00Power lines and autumn
Clicking a chapter starts the video above at that point.
FAQ
Should you build your own intersections or unlock the presets?
I skip the intersection unlock and build my own roundabouts and interchanges with the road tools. Remove traffic lights and pedestrian crossings on highway ramps so traffic keeps flowing.
Why is my parking garage always full?
Downtown parking demand is huge — just like in real North American cities. Raise the fee (I went up to 17, then 20) and add another garage nearby.
When should you widen roads to four lanes?
As soon as an area clearly becomes downtown. Widening early is cheaper than rebuilding later, when larger buildings already line the streets.