Green Cities Update

Transform your districts with eco-friendly policies, encouraging electric vehicles and banning private cars to combat air pollution.

This feature directly addresses air pollution (CO2) caused by traffic, offering a targeted solution for urban planners seeking cleaner environments. Released as a standalone DLC, it builds upon the foundational goal of simulating realistic city elements like congestion and its effects on services. Note that while policies like Free Public Transportation help reduce traffic, this specific regulation was already available in the Base Game's District Policies menu prior to this expansion. These tools expand on the core gameplay loop where managing budget, health, employment, and pollution levels determines a city's success.

Quick Facts

Developer: Colossal Order
Publisher: Paradox Interactive

Lore & Background

The game's engine was designed to simulate nearly a million unique citizens navigating daily routines, making the visual indication of traffic congestion an easy-to-comprehend sign of larger design problems. In this simulated world, road systems form node-based graphs determining fastest paths for commuters who do not swerve unless rerouted. The Green Cities mechanics integrate into this system by allowing players to configure districts with specific regulations focused on environmental impact, such as banning all private cars or encouraging the adoption of electric vehicles to drastically reduce CO2 emissions. The expansion reflects the developers' intent to present complex simulation data simply, allowing players to easily understand problems in their city's design through specific policy interventions.

Reader's Guide

To implement Green Cities mechanics, players must first designate parts of their city as districts. Within these bounds, specific regulations can be enforced to manage development types or traffic flow. One key feature allows the player to discourage fossil-fuel vehicles from entering a district while not discouraging electric ones. This is particularly useful for reducing noise pollution caused by traffic in residential areas.

Another option involves offering free public transportation within the district to reduce overall traffic volume. Players can also restrict industrial sectors to agriculture only, or adjust tax rates for various development classes. These tools require careful planning of road systems and zoning, as the game's node-based graph determines how citizens navigate these constraints. The goal is to balance economic needs with environmental factors like noise and air quality.

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