City Hall

[afleitch]

Because sometimes national campaigns are boring. I have an idea for a more micro-government game.

Basically we have a European style city (map done folks) split into small areas which each elect a member to the city council. Some areas are the old historic city, some are leafy suburbs, down on their luck dockalnds, others working class estates. Pick a patch, name it and call it your own. Decide who lives there, and what the area needs. There can also be mayoral races etc.

The game moderator acts as the 'national influence'. He can provide money for a Metro system and those on the council have to squabble on the route. There could be an Olympic bid, a businessman wishing to tear down the docks and rebuild, localised crime waves etc.

I have a map ready that I made a while ago for something like this. Basic areas are coloured in; industry, suburbs, rail etc but theres alot of personal input here. It wouldn't be an election sim (apart from Mayor) until later on.

Game rundown

The structure is very simple. Each arrondisement elects a local mayor who for the sake of simplicity also acts as a councillor. The whole city elects a mayor who oversees the work of council. There are comittees which renage from transport to developemt, health etc and councillors can be involved in as many as they wish. These can often be more powerful than the city council as they influence policy and present their case to the council to vote on. The mayor has the casting vote in the event of a tie etc.

The moderator acts as central government and outside forces. This can be one person or a team. This includes government imposed funding cuts, or giving money for infrastructure developments. They can also include property developers etc and each area has to woo them (or repel them) And of course they can 'buy' votes.

City Hall can be as clean or dirty as you want it to be. You fight for your own turf but you are a city and you are in it together.

Best thing is? The city develops. If a new metro line if opened the map is updated. If high rises are raised to the ground that too is reflected (a property type map will be created)

If we can keep the maps on one page an update them as things change that should be fairly easy.

Maps

Kolshaven


Landuse



Gemeenten



Environs


Metro


PLAYERS

I – Deux-Rives / Twee Banken (Hashemite)
II – Prinsheuvel (Verily)
III - Sint-Bavo (Supersoulty)
IV – Koningstad (BaconKing)
V – Huutwort (Xahar)
VI - Meekermariner
VII - Slotervaart (Exnaderite)
VIII – Moulin de Ville / Molenstad (Polnut)
IX - Beekhoeve (Benconstine)
X- Swellendam (Evilmexicandictator)
XI - Rijksveld (ColinWixted)
XII - De Bilt (Fezzy)
XIII – Duikersheuvel (Afleitch)
XIV - G.O.P
XV - Koolshaven (Cookies and Milk)
XVI - Zwarte Vallei (Al)
XVII – Oudedokken (Ernest)
XVIII – Nieuwedokken (SamSpade)
XIX - Vliegveld (ILV)

[afleitch]

Key:

Natural: Light blue is the river, Light green is unbuilt 'green' land. Darker green is a city park.

Transport and Industry: The dark blue line are motorways. The Brown lines are the main Railways. Dark Grey is Industry (including docklands) while light grey is the Airport (and associated industry) The Pink bit near the centre is an area like La Defence/Canary Wharf

Demographics: The main color bloc in the centr is the 'Old City' (where it had expanded to by the early 1900's. The orange areas are working class estates (probably with a high immigrant population) while the cream areas are more middle class suburbs.

The red lines are the boundaries of the wards/arrondissements. There are 19 in total

Others: The 'Ovals' are stadiums (put in them what you want) The Red square is the City Hall itself and the Purple area is the main University campus.

[afleitch]

A few more points.

Note the 'ringroad' has not been finished. It has, of course been ploughed through the poorest areas. The suburbs have halted plans to complete the loop..for now

There is a metro system. I have a map of that somewhere showing where areas are well served and others are not.

[afleitch]

Environs.

Oh and I call 13

[afleitch]

Probably 1 for me!

Give it a name

Doesn't need to be an English speaking city either.

[afleitch]

Probably 1 for me!

Give it a name

Doesn't need to be an English speaking city either.

I quite like numerous languages etc. cities, not a fan of unilingual cities.

For the record, I spliced a fair few cities together. It's 'Parisian' in shape, with some Brussels and some Glasgow and so on. I've still to give it a name.

[afleitch]

This map gives a rough idea of the 'class' mix of each area. The darkest red are the most working class, the darkest blue are the most middle class

[afleitch]

Folks with means tend to live on the west end (or at least to the north) due to the prevailing winds actually. There are exceptions like Albuquerque  (the mountains are to the east), But then the Brits drive on the wrong side of the road too, come to think of it.

Very True. But it looked better

[afleitch]

XIII Duikersheuvel (Divershill)

A genteel suburb of the city, it was incorporated into the city officially in 1966. Why the area was called, Divers Hill is still a mystery, but the hill to the south that also forms the city boundary was once the source of a spring. The motorway to the west serves as the main arterial route to the south, but motorists do make use of the offramps that lead towards the town, with the cities first IKEA store located at Duikersheuvel. It's location makes it a commuter haven. Even if it is not quite as wealthy as more westerly suburbs, it has a thriving riverside.

[afleitch]

If it makes you all happy, I'll flip the city over

[afleitch]

The Metro System. Showing the three curent lines. The hollow lines show three proposed extensions to the system. Of course the city can't afford all of them...

Maybe if you're a big hitter in the Transportation Committe you might just be able to excert a little influence.

[afleitch]

I'll label and update the main map once we get going. If you think you should deserve a cathedral or shopping mall or museum etc keep me notified

Game rundown

The structure is very simple. Each arrondisement elects a local mayor who for the sake of simplicity also acts as a councillor. The whole city elects a mayor who oversees the work of council. There are comittees which renage from transport to developemt, health etc and councillors can be involved in as many as they wish. These can often be more powerful than the city council as they influence policy and present their case to the council to vote on. The mayor has the casting vote in the event of a tie etc.

The moderator acts as central government and outside forces. This can be one person or a team. This includes government imposed funding cuts, or giving money for infrastructure developments. They can also include property developers etc and each area has to woo them (or repel them) And of course they can 'buy' votes.

City Hall can be as clean or dirty as you want it to be. You fight for your own turf but you are a city and you are in it together.

Best thing is? The city develops. If a new metro line if opened the map is updated. If high rises are raised to the ground that too is reflected (a property type map will be created)

If we can keep the mpas on one page an update them as things change that should be fairly easy.

[afleitch]

So... on politics... I assume that we become mayor of the arrondissement we chose automatically, unless there's contestation?

Also... how do parties work? National parties like in most European local elections or do we have ridiculous joke municipal parties/dynasties of Independents like in Canada?

To the first question - yes. That way it combines both representation and management. As there are 19 to choose from I don't think we need to hold elections to start off with.

To the second, there isn't a direct need to have everyone in a party as it is municipal politics. However left and right blocs would probably form out of necessity.

[afleitch]

[afleitch]

Now for housing.

I have been very rough here as of course there is also business and commerical areas contained within these.

Pre-1800.

Effectively the old city and exclusively the 1st arrondisement. There are of course more modern buildings found within here too, but development is capped.

Georgian. More gradiose stone buildings of the sort found in say central Paris or London.

Victorian. Grand but also practical buildings that make up the majority of the housing stock in the inner city. While many of these are middle class and in demand, some are more lower quality sand student residencies.

Bell Epoque. Some of the most stylish buildings including Art Nouveau and Art deco. Victorian properties were altered or cleared away to make way for this. Only found in some areas.

Post-War Middle Class suburban. Built between 1945 and 1960 these homes are usually stone built and are still in demand and are mostly found to the east of the city

Post-War Low density. Built during the same period. Some are semi-detached, others are smaller block of flats. Still lived in and well looked after if a little bland.

Post-War High Density. High rise flats and sprawling estates; houses the poorest workers and is likely to have a high immigrant population

Recent Suburban. Post 80's recent builds mostly to the north east. More individualistic than post and in demand. Growth is still taking place here.

Top Market New Build. Glitzy and high price, the city has been slow to let development take hold. There could be scope for growth at the docklands.

[afleitch]

All hail the master of Paint!

I quite like my arondissement.

But we still need a name.

Any suggestions?

[afleitch]

If we're continuing the Dutch theme, how about Koolinsjatohaven? It'd be a corruption of "colline château", with the suffix "haven", meaning port, added to the end. We'd need a nice English exonym, of course.

Bacon King, I'm thinking of something for you. Do you want it in Dutch?

Hashemite, how about Riddersveld? It means "knight's field".

The whole Dutch thing wasn't intentional to be honest We could do a 'Brussels' and have the other language as French

So Riddersveld would be Champ de Chevaliers

Koolinsjatohaven seems a bit mouthy

[afleitch]

On the other hand, I don't like Champ de Chevaliers much, in fact.

I thought of Deux-Rives, or Deux-Ponts due to the river passing through my ward.

I can see your point. A three language city would still be interesting for the record. Deux-Rives, Two Banks/Two Rivers and say Twee Rand?

[afleitch]

Not the most inspiring name. Perhaps I can think of something else. Prince's hill, maybe?

Prinsheuvel or Prinsenheuvel

[afleitch]

Tiny error: XVIX should be XIX.

Fixed in the main map.

[afleitch]

Metro stations per arrondisement / gemeenten

I - 3 (1 planned)
II - 6
III - 2
IV - 2 (1 planned)
V - 1
VI - 0 (2 planned)
VII - 0 (3 planned)
VIII - 1
IX - 4
X - 2
XI - 2
XII - 4
XIII - 1
XIV - 0
XV - 0 (1 planned)
XVI - 0 (2 planned)
XVII - 2
XVIII - 0 (1 planned)
XIX - 2 (1 planned)

These babies need names. If you have 1 sation name it after your arrondisement. If your stuck just call it Andriesplaats or Beurs (stock exchange) etc

[afleitch]

I will take XI if it hasn't been taken.

XI has gone

[afleitch]

Can we get all the maps in the first post?

Yes. I'm going to move things around.

[afleitch]

Sticky?

That would be helpful Hopefully this game has some life in it!

Stragely enough, I now have Brussels in my head. It's a city I love and visit about three or 4 times a year and it has a great dynamism to it.

[afleitch]

I see no one wants the slums