Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

SimCity Trains Bad Urban Planners

Posted by Zonk on from the games-are-not-reality dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The global eco tech blog Worldchanging has a post commenting on about how SimCity borks urban planner ideas of how cities really work in the real world." From the entry: "While some of Lobo & Schooler's complaints arise from the fact that SimCity is built as a game -- the "God Mode," for example -- most derive from inability to modify the underlying model, whether to include mixed-use development (the ground-floor commercial/upper-floor residential buildings which help to make dense urban environments livable), to vary the demand ratings for various services, to make pedestrian travel more acceptable, or to alter the efficiency and availability of renewable power generation."

1 of 62 comments (clear)

  1. Agreed it's entertainment, but... by Fallen+Andy · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I live in Athens Greece, which must rank as one of the er less desirable high density population areas
    in terms of green area (at least in Europe). But, if you pick the right place (like where I am now - no don't ask) it's pretty good even for a convinced ruralite like myself (from East Anglia UK).

    Mixed business and accomodation keeps a city centre vibrant and alive. The alternative - seen widely in my homeland (the UK) is desolate wastelands filled with security cameras and muggers. This morning, I could have picked from
    at least 5 or 6 bakeries within walking distance for my breakfast (yummy fresh bread). Actually,
    I know which one I go to because I end up debating
    football (soccer to you US people) before returning to the office... Life. Get one!
    (no money here though).

    Funny thing here. Nobody worries about muggers or rapists here. It (mostly) doesn't happen.

    I wish urban planners would look more carefully at the mediterranean model. Just like diet, it seems to work (albeit sometimes painfully slowly for my tastes).

    I can't blame games designers for designing games based on their local cultural predujices. But, I wish we could find ones that tell the whole story.
    (Hint: Small pockets of the US aren't the US, let
    alone the rest of the world).

    Anybody who thinks we are living in some sort of paradise here, please note - it isn't. (Don't ever
    expect to actually get paid for that work you did).

    But the bread makes it all worthwhile (crunch, crunch).

    Best wishes from
    not so sunny (rather cold at the moment)
    Athens Greece.

    Andy Allen.