Fictional City Characteristics (AID North Oak Creek AIB De Noc)

[Cardinal]

If you set out to create a fictional city, what would be some of its more unique or defining characteristics?

Like Albuquerque, my fictional city would have two downtowns. The first is the original settlement, which was relegated to secondary status when a new commercial district sprang up around the railroad when it came to town.

There would be some dominant topographic feature, like the ridge slicing through New Haven or the Niagara Escarpment in Hamilton or the Isthmus in Madison. Of course there would also be water features, including lakes and a river. Perhaps there would be a waterfall, as in Spokane.

[Bear Up North]

What is this "fictional city" thing you speak of?



To this veteran of Amish Sims, history and location will go a long way to establish defining characteristics. As Cardinal mentioned, railroads certainly played a big part in the development of many cities. When a city is located on water, often its' growth was spurred by the use of that water. Toledo's growth was because of its' strategic and sheltered bay, Maumee Bay. San Francisco can probably say the same. Throw in natural resources, such as timber or coal or iron ore.....more help in defining a city.

I have been writing a history of my fake city, De Noc, and different events at different times in the city's history have influenced the city's direction. Access to timber certainly helped the city in the early years, creating the sticks needed for buildings and homes and bringing a manufacturing focus (woodworking-type indsutries) to the area. Other manufacturers followed and the community became a major manufacturing center.

Like it or not, casino gambling also contributed to the area's growth. Mix in slots with beautiful north woods country, definite seasons.....can you say "tourists"?

Oddly enough, De Noc's location on the shores of Lake Michigan's Big Bay De Noc was not heavily promoted in the early years. The central city started on the shores of a couple inland lakes, fifteen (15) miles north of the big lake. De Noc grew to the south, eventually meeting the lake.

So what does all of this mean? Lottsa reasons for a city to begin, grow, prosper. What is scary is the word that comes after "prosper" might just be "fade". De Noc had many plastics plants and in the real world......the goodies that plastics plants make are being off-shored to China.

Add another defining characteristic: A fake city has to have realism. Ouch.

Bear

[illinoisplanner]

I believe my city has a lot to do with natural characteristics...the flat prairie lands, the wooded areas, and the most important being the ficitional Oak River and Oak Creek.

I think my city also has a lot to do with infrastructure, such as railroads and freeways. Also, because it is suburban in nature, its growth has a lot to do with its proximity to larger city centers, like Rockford, Chicago, Aurora, and the fake Oak Creek, as well as the wealth and prosperity of these metropolitan areas.

I still have yet to come up with a full history for my city. To tell you the truth, I just started drawing my city, never having any idea where it would be located or the basis of its founding. I've come up with those ideas since then.

[Bear Up North]

I was searching thru older threads, looking for a specific topic, and stumbled across this older thread. After reading the few posts, it occurred to me that even though a fair number of Cyburbians have expressed interest and or memories of drawing a fictional city, few have posted any thoughts about same.

Yes, we have the usual suspects......a certain Bear Up North and a rock and roll loving fake city designer, illinoisplanner.

Where are the others? Explain yourselves.....and your cities!



Bear