Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Urban Planning
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 12-22-2012, 09:49 PM
 
Location: ADK via WV
5,988 posts, read 8,967,301 times
Reputation: 2493

Advertisements

I thought this would be interesting. Using steetview to help us picture what your made up city might look like.

Samples could be some what like this.

sample of:

downtown (main street)
architecture
public parks
neighborhoods
industrial areas
retail areas
surroundings (like mountain views, waterfront,ect...)
transportation (bus/train stations, airports, lightrail,ect...0

Here is my city!

South Port

population: 230,000
metro: 612,000
climate: sub-tropical
average income: $55,000
diversity: 60% white, 20% black, 10% asian, 5% hispanic, 5% other
tallest structure: Port City Condos, 25 floors

The city is located along a wide river that runs into the ocean 3 miles from downtown. It is home o a 45,000 student university which is the main economic engine for the area. The riverfront is very developed and a series of marinas and canals are part of the overall vibe of the city. The historic district makes up a third of downtown, while the rest of the downtown area is modern and remodeled buildings.

downtown
Google Maps

historic district
Google Maps

Queen University (45,000)
Google Maps

Google Maps

community and businesses around college
Google Maps

old neighborhood
Google Maps

new neighborhood
Google Maps

marina neighborhood
Google Maps

shopping
Google Maps

other city samples
Google Maps

Google Maps

Google Maps
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 12-23-2012, 03:38 PM
 
Location: Michigan
4,647 posts, read 8,541,445 times
Reputation: 3775
Sanderville
City population: 3.8 million
Metro population: 7.14 million which has a few satellite cities included.

The city generally follows a concentric model with spoke-and-wheel thoroughfares that break up a north-south grid. It's a mix of old and new architecture and ideally, no one style dominants over the other except for a few neighborhoods.


Downtown (main street)
Google Maps

Tallest structure
q1 tower - Google Maps

Architecture: Downtown core
Google Maps
Detroit, MI - Google Maps
Multitfamily residential ring outside of core including infill:
San Francisco, CA - Google Maps
Vancouver, BC, Canada - Google Maps
Urban/suburban inner ring:
Mineápolis, MN - Google Maps
Cleveland, OH - Google Maps
Mid-ring suburban:
Houston, TX - Google Maps
Sterling Heights, MI - Google Maps
Outer ring/exurban:
Ann Arbor, MI - Google Maps
chicago - Google Maps
Rural and rural fringe:
Macomb, MI - Google Maps

Master planned/historical city parks where museums and such would be located
New York, NY - Google Maps
Washington, DC - Google Maps
Belle Isle, Detroit, MI - Google Maps

Industrial areas: Most of it along the port with suburban industrial parks more inland
New York, NY - Google Maps
Seattle, WA - Google Maps
Detroit, MI - Google Maps
Los Angeles, CA - Google Maps


Mountains and lakes to the northwest with the ocean to the southeast (relative to the downtown core) with plains separating them. A few mining and resort suburbs/satellite cities would be in the mountains.
denver - Google Maps
The beaches wouldn't be very popular due to the mountains drying the air to the north and the port/industrial areas being upwind to the ocean south of the city.
Chicago, IL - Google Maps


The region would be served by a subway system in the urban center with several lines sprawling out, light rail in the suburban areas with park and ride stations (usually at retail centers), and buses filling in most of the gaps. Many of the satellite cities would be connected by commuter rail. Chicago, IL - Google Maps
Phoenix, AZ - Google Maps
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-23-2012, 08:11 PM
 
Location: ADK via WV
5,988 posts, read 8,967,301 times
Reputation: 2493
Very well done! I like the different blends of architecture displayed in your samples!

i figured there would only be a few who'd go along with this thread because it takes along time to put together a city LOL
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-24-2012, 12:08 AM
 
Location: Michigan
4,647 posts, read 8,541,445 times
Reputation: 3775
Well, I've always had imaginary cities in my head, or at least bits of various cities that I like. I play a lot of Simcity so I like to re-imagine cities. I'd draw out a map if I had the patience.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-24-2012, 11:35 AM
 
Location: ADK via WV
5,988 posts, read 8,967,301 times
Reputation: 2493
Quote:
Originally Posted by animatedmartian View Post
Well, I've always had imaginary cities in my head, or at least bits of various cities that I like. I play a lot of Simcity so I like to re-imagine cities. I'd draw out a map if I had the patience.
Im the same way. I also play simcity and am very excited for the new sim city 5.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-24-2012, 12:06 PM
 
Location: Richmond/Philadelphia/Brooklyn
1,264 posts, read 1,543,287 times
Reputation: 768
Parlenton

Population: 3million
Urban area: 3million
average pop. per square mile: 15,000
rough size of city: 250 square miles

My city would be a very cosmopolitan city with many beautiful buildings. The city would be located at the mouth of a river by a harbor, or bay (sort of like many cities in the northeast. The city would be very urban, and the most suburban ring of development would be about as dense as Brooklyn. The city would receive many tourists every year, and at the same time hold many industries, and manufacture vast quantities of items in industrial areas.

In the center, the city would have a large downtown with financial, commercial, government, etc all located, and in a relatively mixed use setting

Financial district

https://maps.google.com/?ll=40.71119...,354,,0,-39.19

https://maps.google.com/?ll=40.70885...2.18,,0,-37.03

https://maps.google.com/?ll=41.88892...0.45,,0,-26.72

https://maps.google.com/?ll=39.95315...88.61,,0,-29.6

Commercial hubs (located around, and intertwining with financial districts)

https://maps.google.com/?ll=40.72214...5.99,,0,-24.81

https://maps.google.com/?ll=40.73690...9.84,,0,-28.76

https://maps.google.com/?ll=40.73866...9.26,,0,-22.89

https://maps.google.com/?ll=45.50388...3.71,,0,-18.93

https://maps.google.com/?ll=50.84912...5.81,,0,-17.74

throughout the city, there would be many planned parks, squares, and civic structures

https://maps.google.com/?ll=41.87581...67.49,,0,-4.91

https://maps.google.com/?ll=38.89050...0.27,,0,-16.42

https://maps.google.com/?ll=48.84699...1.55,,0,-17.38

https://maps.google.com/?ll=48.86581...97.02,,0,-17.5

The average city street

https://maps.google.com/?ll=42.35545...61.66,,0,-15.7

to be continued

Last edited by pantin23; 12-24-2012 at 01:05 PM..
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-24-2012, 12:57 PM
 
Location: God's Gift to Mankind for flying anything
5,921 posts, read 13,780,883 times
Reputation: 5229
Just one comment, because I really do not have any other worthwhile to justify.
Google Maps
Why would anybody create a waterfront where next to the water is where persons can not get to ?
Only cars and other obstructions.
I grew up near *waterfront areas* (in Europe), and there were almost always lots of people just enjoying the fact to be able to get really close to the water ...
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-24-2012, 01:42 PM
 
Location: Michigan
4,647 posts, read 8,541,445 times
Reputation: 3775
^There's a huge beach right on the other side of the building opposite of that parking lot. In real estate, the ocean beach is more valuable than the boat canals (which is what the parking lot is next to). Though in Europe, I could see how that'd be a pedestrian walkway rather than a parking lot.

American car priorities, I guess?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-24-2012, 04:07 PM
nei nei won $500 in our forum's Most Engaging Poster Contest - Thirteenth Edition (Jan-Feb 2015). 

Over $104,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum and additional contests are planned
 
Location: Western Massachusetts
46,011 posts, read 53,143,264 times
Reputation: 15174
This sounds like it could be fun; but I might have trouble deciding on my city.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-24-2012, 04:32 PM
 
Location: Richmond/Philadelphia/Brooklyn
1,264 posts, read 1,543,287 times
Reputation: 768
Part II

Average downtown city street
https://maps.google.com/?ll=51.51320...38.4,,0,-10.91

https://maps.google.com/?ll=45.27139...7.92,,0,-23.13

https://maps.google.com/?ll=40.72796...3.97,,0,-27.44


Inside the city people travel by subway, light rail, foot, and (wealthier) by taxi. An airport a few miles outside of the city services global transport, and city to city transport is done by bullet trains that travel at over 300 miles per hour. Stations and terminals like the ones below are used as regional rail, and bullet train hubs.

https://maps.google.com/?ll=53.40771...68.84,,0,-0.12

https://maps.google.com/?ll=50.10754...45.6,,0,-14.14

Industrial and loft areas serviced will mostly be located farther out along the harbor.

https://maps.google.com/?ll=41.89554...4.36,,0,-25.65

https://maps.google.com/?ll=40.45094...4.67,,0,-14.62



Radiating out from the downtown area, there will be many grand avenues lined with large apartments, row houses, and commercial structures.

https://maps.google.com/?ll=50.10794...1.77,,0,-25.53

https://maps.google.com/?ll=42.35216...1.84,,0,-20.61

https://maps.google.com/?ll=38.91066...5.91,,0,-10.79

The vast majority of the city would be town homes like the ones below

https://maps.google.com/?ll=38.90800...3.07,,0,-14.98

https://maps.google.com/?ll=41.91921...,243,,0,-17.38

https://maps.google.com/?ll=40.68641...1.53,,0,-14.02
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Urban Planning

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top