Suggestion: Combined Zones

[Asheroo]

How possible would it be to make a mod which creates new zones which combine current zones?

I thought of this when thinking about offices. Usually offices would be grouped with commercial zones but in C:S it's separate. However, office-only areas are practical and do exist as well as general commercial zones with offices. Another practicality of combined zones would be city centres, combining residential/commercial/office. Combing After Dark's commercial specialisations with the normal commercial as well would be quite practical, though unsure how hard-coded the specialisations are.

 

[Matthias King]

This is something players have been requesting since day one. Mixed use apartments with commercial shops on the ground floor and apartments in the floors above, and as you said, offices with shops below.

I'm pretty sure CO knows this is a highly sought feature, and I think it's possible for them to do at some point, because if I'm not mistaken, one of the Cities in Motion games had it. It's just a matter of CO's priorities.

But I'm with you. Adding mixed use zones would be great. I'm not sure how they would work with the weird noise pollution mechanics the game has, but I'm hoping they can work it out.

 

[Asheroo]

I don't mean that. I mean zones that would not spawn just simply one type of building but would spawn two types of buildings eg. offices and commercial buildings.

 

[Ryno917]

That could be achieved by just mixing up your zoning. Zone 4 blocks of high density commercial next to 4 blocks office, etc.

I'd much prefer what Matthias is talking about since thats how every major city in north america that I've been to is laid out.

 

[Matthias King]

@Ryno917 Exactly. I was just coming in to give the same reply.

@Asheroo You can already do exactly what you're asking for, you just zone the blocks individually. I, and probably everyone else, already do this all the time. This is literally a non-issue.

The thing everyone else is wanting is actual mixed-use buildings.

 

[Asheroo]

It's just a mod suggestion, not a game-breaking issue. I know you can already do that but it takes much time and too much precision. I thought of this suggestion when looking at a few real life city plans that categorised zones around the city and inner-city as just simply "city/suburban centre", allowing for any residential/commercial/office development and thought it would be cool to have a zoning type that demand would determine what gets built rather than the 'mayor'.

 

[Matthias King]

I guess I never found zoning individual blocks that much more time consuming, and I certainly have never had a problem with precision. I'm not even sure what that means in regards to zoning.

But I guess maybe they could do something to randomize zones. I don't see the point personally, but maybe there are others out there who agree.

 

[boformer]

There would be different ways to do this:

Creating new zone types would be the hard way.

It would be easier to define a new Building AI that supports workers and residents (e.g. mixed residential/commercial) and grows on either residential or commercial zones.

It could be a part of my Total Overhaul Mod: http://community.simtropolis.com/forums/topic/69870-total-overhaul-mod-thoughts/

 

[Acc3ss Violation]

I think having mixed residential/commercial buildings grow only on commercial zones would be nice. That keeps residential areas like they are whilst giving a little extra to commercial areas. And maybe have it toggled by a policy, although I have no idea how difficult that would be.