I’ve been rediscovering some of my old habits and loves, one of which being my MSPaint city-plans. I used to spend hours and hours carefully planning every block, every street, every park and bridge. I have always had a knack for understanding and imitating the “natural” development that most cities, especially older ones, go through. When I get it just right my cities seem to be possible, or even to currently exist (as my two dimensional city-drawings get from time to time). Take a walk down memory lane with me and see how my young mind began on its path (all of these are circa high school):
Super-cool link of awesome!
What’s funny is how easily I remember the purpose and plan of my cities. This city, called New Estoria, was designed as a Capital of a more modern, techno-centric, green society. The red lines you see with periodic yellow blocks along side them are part of a light-rail network designed to transport large numbers of people to each of the major centres of the city. On the far right, bottom corner there is a power station, most likely utilizing fusion technology. The middle-left, where there is abit of green surrounding a few buildings, is the main government section holding the chief executive, congress, and a number of supporting government buildings (accounting bureaucracy, planning agencies, IRS, intelligence…etc…etc..). The island directly above the main city is a large industrial and biological research and production site, next door, across the bay, is the airport. To the right of the airport lie undeveloped lands and Florida-like swamps and everglades. The top left, across the bridge from the main part of the city is the university, probably the largest in the country.
Beyond these major buildings (I won’t name them all, if you look hard enough you can figure out what the rest are), every single tiny building is a townhouse or small apartment building, perhaps a densely built multi-storied house. Very large buildings are most likely malls, commercial centers, or industrial complexes or research facilities. Everything else is either a shop or office building or complex. A number of hidden structures are built within the city, harboring god knows what secrets.
Also a good link, try it out baby!
This is Greater Venturia, a mega-city built upon a large horn jutting into the sea. This place is sort of a mess, built around a large highway and a heavy rail system the place didn’t really develop the way a city should. Its population explosion occurred at such a speedy tempo that a number of centres were built, creating a network of smaller cities with their own hubs, surrounded by extensive industrial and commercial complexes, interconnected by the highway and a somewhat structured network of large roads built upon cart-wheel design outward from the highway’s loop.
The city’s direct center is its administrative heart, holding the mayor, city council, and all of its important offices and bureaus. To the direct right of this center is a mega-airport, which sports not only airplanes but space-planes, which launch from the strip extending out into the sea. Almost the entire south, especially the far south-left and south-right are heavy industrial zones. The industry stops when it hits the heavy-rail line, below that being residential and store-fronts servicing the industrial workers.
This link might be good, I dunno.
This is a relatively small city called “Zodiac”. The city is an old military town, seeing its share of war and destruction and plenty of its citizens coming back in coffins and bags. It probably lies near the border of whatever nation this happens to be, tensely sitting in wait for the next conflict. The far north of the city holds a massive military base, and a mysterious military installation calls the middle of the bay its home. The strange circle of rings just below the military base is actually a war memorial, comprised of hundreds of steps leading to a thin rectangular monument standing about a storey tall. The city’s streets are maze-like, and they were intended to be.
Confusing, scary, suffocating, and intimidating the streets wind, dead-end, and end up in unexpected locations. The benefit to this design is that only long-time citizens can navigate the streets with any efficiency and confidence, putting them at a great advantage should an army invade and attempt to occupy the berg. Never underestimate the citizens of Zodiac, they are hard, cruel, strong, stoic, and angry, many an out-of-towner has found himself at the end of a large and angry crowd when they decide to get drunk and aggressive at one of the few bars in town.
I have believed for quite some time that environment, the structures of society both physical and intangible (the development of a city’s streets or the way in which welfare and education is handled) set the options and the paths of all. A person can be a thief, a murderer, a teacher, a scientist, a police officer, or a soldier depending upon their environment. A man or woman, child or adult can fail or succeed depending on how a society is structured, depending on the governing philosophy and available technology. It’s our job to build a society worth living in, a city of humanity providing for, developed by, and including all people.
In the words of Godspell: “We can build a beautiful city…..and call it the city of man.”
And call it the city of man
