After the forestry cargo station took trucks off the farm roads, a viewer suggests making the forestry district look more natural, but the forest brush is placing giant trees after a game update. So I grow the small rural neighbourhood instead: smaller lots, a local produce shopping street with a footpath, and a new district that eases from dense blocks into looser housing around a small roundabout. It gets district policies, basic services and dog parks, plus a fix for a bus stop that blocked traffic.
What happens in this episode
Episode 25 gave the forestry district its own cargo station. That shows again how important multiple connections are for industry, because it generates so much truck traffic. A viewer suggested making the forestry district look more natural with more trees.
How it was built
Giant trees
I tried, and the forest brush placed huge trees across the city. It’s an interesting view, but I can’t leave it like that. After the latest game update, some mods aren’t behaving, so decorating waits until it’s fixed.
Pipes that won’t separate
I wanted the industrial water network separated from the city, so pollution at that water tower can’t reach downtown. The underground demolition wouldn’t delete the pipes, so it’ll have to wait too.
A gentler rural neighbourhood
The small residential area grows with dead-end roads and small lots placed individually, not with the fill tool, so the density stays lower. A few laundromats and small shops go in, with no big businesses. A row of trees acts as a natural sound barrier to the highway.
A local produce corner
Specialisation applies to a whole district, so I removed a small square and painted a new commercial district set to local produce. A small road and a footpath let residents walk down to it. It may bring more delivery trucks, because the farm is far away.
A looser district
A small roundabout sits at the centre, built with the smallest roads. I separate collectors from main roads and avoid too many junctions. To ease from the dense area into looser housing, lots near the dense side are fuller and thin out towards the top left. District policies: small business enthusiast, high-rise ban, heavy traffic ban and encourage biking. Services are kept modest: a school, two doctor’s offices, a crematorium, fire and police. Businesses love corner lots, and dog parks fill the last empty spots. I keep buildings away from roundabouts.
Fixing the bus stop
A bus stop on an asymmetrical road had blocked traffic for ages. The road becomes a symmetrical three-lane road, the stop is re-added and a give-way sign removed. Pedestrians may cross here, because it’s a residential area.
Not enough students
The city keeps growing, and the universities still don’t have enough students. Industry traffic is flowing fine, and the new district is slowly filling in towards a nice transition.
Video chapters
- 00:00Recap and giant trees
- 04:20Water pipes that won't separate
- 08:35Small lots and corner shops
- 12:41A local produce corner
- 16:52A small roundabout and fewer junctions
- 21:27District policies and services
- 25:43Parks and denser edges
- 29:53Fixing the bus stop jam
- 33:59Students and a final check
Clicking a chapter starts the video above at that point.
FAQ
How do you make a smooth transition between dense and low-density zones?
Keep slightly denser lots at the edge next to the dense district and loosen the zoning further away, with fewer junctions, smaller roads and parks on the empty corners.
Can you have local produce shops in one part of a district?
Specialisation applies to a whole district. Paint a small separate district over the shops you want and set that one to local produce.
Why keep buildings away from roundabouts?
Driveways and buildings on a roundabout add vehicles stopping and turning in the circle, which slows the whole junction.