Play Urban Planner Thread!

[aa3]

On this thread I am looking for peoples ideas on how they would develop the urban area. Its one of those questions where there are really no 'wrong' answers, just opinions.

The state likes your big thinking and grants you 20,000 acres of land near a major city with a requirement that over the next 30 years you must build enough residential space for 100,000 residents. You must also build enough commercial real estate to handle the retail needs and the professional services like doctors and accountants, along with service sector like beauty salons for the 100,000 residents.

Here is the tough part. The state is providing no financing. The only thing the state would fund is paying for public housing, renting in your homes or apartments. And I guess schools, health facilities and similiar where funding comes from the national level. So anything you build, the future buyers have to buy it and cover all costs including financing. Anything nice you put in like parks, on some level have to add value enough that people are willing to pay to live near the park. Otoh the maximum planning permission you have is 100k residents, so if there is extra room left over parks might be a cheap addition to increase property selling prices.

Edited December 7, 2010 by aa3

[justthisbloke]

"Self funding" development was pioneered by Ebeneezer Howard and his Garden City movement. It used the difference in land values of fields vs city centres to bootstrap the city into existence.

[porca misèria]

If you've ever played Sim City, you've been through this exercise.

Haven't you?

[hedgefunded]

25,000 slaveboxes

Tesco Megaplex

Wetherspoons Mall

Nuclear Power Plant

Brothel

[Redcellar]

25,000 slaveboxes

Tesco Megaplex

Wetherspoons Mall

Nuclear Power Plant

Brothel

I was thinking similar, though forgot the brothel.

But here it goes:

I would build giant tower blocks to put 24,999 slave boxes in, complete with boozers and naff shops. Each would bring in £2000 per month rent, or whatever maximum I can rape from the government. I would call it Manchester or Leeds.

With the other acres of and I would build one large house for a VIP to live in and lord over the serfs.

[Executive Sadman]

every one would have heat exchange systems

every house would be on a north south alignment

People could choose if they want to live in a segregated or mixed area.

Social housing would only be flats and private housing only detached, to aid aspiration

Allotments for all who want them

A completely grade seperated road network. on all carrying >10k cars a day.

Proper zoning of residential retail and commercial areas.

All streets tree lined.

[Executive Sadman]

Oh yeah id also like those big retail and warehouse units to be semi underground with park land above them, only the frontage and service area at ground level.

[Executive Sadman]

Oh yeah and a compelely skywalk linked city centre so you dont have to go outside when its cold/wet/hot/windy.

[aa3]

every one would have heat exchange systems

every house would be on a north south alignment

People could choose if they want to live in a segregated or mixed area.

Social housing would only be flats and private housing only detached, to aid aspiration

Allotments for all who want them

A completely grade seperated road network. on all carrying >10k cars a day.

Proper zoning of residential retail and commercial areas.

All streets tree lined.

Interesting ideas.

For a grade seperated road network I do ot know what the term means? Is it like a median at least seperating the oncoming traffic?

And what about segregated or mixed, is that in terms of price of housing? Like some people like 'vibrant' neighbourhoods with all classes interacting, while others want to live in a strictly defined class area.

I also love tree lined boulevard. I personally wouldn't make all the streets them, but I would have a few with spectacular tree lined drives.

[Executive Sadman]

Interesting ideas.

For a grade seperated road network I do ot know what the term means? Is it like a median at least seperating the oncoming traffic?

And what about segregated or mixed, is that in terms of price of housing? Like some people like 'vibrant' neighbourhoods with all classes interacting, while others want to live in a strictly defined class area.

I also love tree lined boulevard. I personally wouldn't make all the streets them, but I would have a few with spectacular tree lined drives.

Just means all junctions are at different levels, therefore you dont have to cross over into oncoming traffic, therefore is a lot safer, (also a lot quicker)

Segregated in whichever ways the HOAs choose, racial, religious, even if they only want to live in a gated estate where all folks have the same surname or all drive BMWs. Obviously, most would find this stifling, but i find it unfair that over 55s are allowed to segregate themselves from the rest of the world in their retirement villages but no one else is allowed to segregate themselves with a cohort of their choosing.

[pilchardthecat]

Can I plan even better and not have constant, massive population growth?

[LJAR]

Lay out a gridwork of major roads, then sell the plots of land in between to whoever wants them to finance the road building.

Lease the network of roads so they are effectively toll roads.

No restrictions on the use the land is put to, people can decide to do what they like and build what they like on their own plot of land.

[jammo]

If you've ever played Sim City, you've been through this exercise.

Haven't you?

has this one covered

Edit: And to be fair, original link found here.

Edited December 8, 2010 by jammo

[Tankus]

sewage ...with combined fermenter gas extraction and turbine at the treatment plant

Rain run-off to be kept separate and handled on the surface

unified utilities running through a central trunk in the middle of the road

Cut and cover underground transport network under the main routes ,..... night-time or off peak , reduced service , and a palletized retail replenishment system

A completely grade seperated road network. on all carrying >10k cars a day

[aa3]

Just means all junctions are at different levels, therefore you dont have to cross over into oncoming traffic, therefore is a lot safer, (also a lot quicker)

I see, I am also a big fan of overpasses and underpasses. I am always demanding they be built all over in my city:). They are also environmentally friendly as people ae not sitting idling their cars waiting at intersections.

Basically I think in this era of unemployment and low interest rates we should be going huge on all infrasructure. Especially a new area should be built right from the start with the different grades.. a good idea.

Segregated in whichever ways the HOAs choose, racial, religious, even if they only want to live in a gated estate where all folks have the same surname or all drive BMWs. Obviously, most would find this stifling, but i find it unfair that over 55s are allowed to segregate themselves from the rest of the world in their retirement villages but no one else is allowed to segregate themselves with a cohort of their choosing.

So some parts of your development would be controlled by HOA's who had the power to decide who is allowed to purchase in the area? HOA done right can add a lot of value to an area.

[aa3]

Lay out a gridwork of major roads, then sell the plots of land in between to whoever wants them to finance the road building.

Lease the network of roads so they are effectively toll roads.

No restrictions on the use the land is put to, people can decide to do what they like and build what they like on their own plot of land.

So your developments would have a lot of 'organic' development?

[Austin Allegro]

If you like this kind of thing there is a computer game called 'Sim City' which is a town planning game. You 'build' a town with terraforming, infrastructure, buildings etc and can develop it by adjusting levels of tax, borrowing etc. Sounds sad but it's quite addictive! It's quite amusing when slums suddenly develop and fires break out...