Building a Realistic, Walkable, Mixed Use Town in Cities Skylines! 

Gosh, I love this approach to the game. It just seems more natural than having to figure out what to do with that pesky vanilla city entrance, and it opens the game up to more immersive city growth, and even lends itself to developing a history for the town itself! I'll have to give this a shot!

The blocks are a magnificent solution. As an European player, this solution makes it possible to build what I live every day. Thanks so much for sharing! (And amazing to see UK-looking High Streets in USA)

Yumbl has gotta be the most underrated CS creator! Wondering what happened to Benton? Is little house ok?

I hope this “Little River” series runs for a long time. This is much better than regular CS.

Perhaps in the next cities skylines we'll see mixed used zoning

As a fellow new englander I really love the colonial style and areas like Portsmouth or the North End in Boston, so I'm glad you're building in a familiar way!

As someone who grew up in northern Vermont and currently lives in Boston, it's really cool to see that style reflected in C:S. I tried it myself a little while ago but I ran into the exact zoning issue you described in this video. I might download those cube services and give it another shot!

This town is so realistic, walkable, and mixed use!

just startin the episode, love the new intros, love the new thoughts and ideas, love the build, gunna continue watching

So glad to see this wave of content creators and city planning advocates who want walkability, mixed use zoning, and other people-friendly goodness for their cities.

Man that example on google maps is super pretty, i need to go to that neck of the woods someday. I love this little project you are doing to try get some realistic small towns and the extra detailing to help build some lore and not just a race to skyscrapers. There is just as much satisfaction in modeling a rural area full of life like a little model railway than a busy city full of high rises. i really hope whatever the next itteration of skylines is they bake in mixed use buildings, its been lacking for a while. but also i love the solution you are showing too. Great video Yumbl keep it up!

Mixed use blocks. Never heard of that mod but thanks for introducing me. Love your inspiration town, there are many such around the world with mixed use buildings. I live in Nova Scotia and it's the same for the towns here, so nice to see. This was a very interesting episode, thanks for making it and look forward to your next.

There's an unbelievable amount of useful tips in this video. Block Services is COLOSSALLY HUGE for me!!! And I thought Ploppable RICO was a game-changer! I have to say, @YUMBLtv , that you have this "let's sit down with a beer and play CS" vibe, and you do it in such a mellow Clark Kent manner! You deserve to have 10 times your subscriber count!!!

Many good tips, especially the use of MoveIt to move buildings you plopped down into place. I can never get the buildings into the exact place I want them to go when plopping them down; I should have realised earlier that MoveIt would have helped me get around that problem. Also the use of block services to create mixed-used buildings is pretty ingenious. I’m now planning to do that for my own city as well.

Yumble has the best videos for cities that are usable and good looking at the same time

I have been loving the small town vids! I also grew up in a small town, not to sound all John Melloncamp, but I have always wanted this in a city builder. I have to say I have been using your map and I was struggling to get nice results. Then you post this ad blow me away. Plopping buildings! Who knew? I love your little town! It inspires me to try again. Keep up the awesome work!

I fondly remember walking around Portsmouth during summer break while my dad was at work back when I lived in New Hampshire. Very dog friendly and walkable, originally I'm a Texan but there's something about living in a quiet New England town that's very comforting.

This is one of the nicest builds I've seen on this channel really great and liking all the new videos you've made lately with the narrative into the camera.

Fabulous video -- a very much needed reminder. I sorta knew about the "block services" things, but I've never used them. Now I've subscribed to a bunch and will be plopping them down when I've got appropriate downtown uses. Many thanks!

I like the way you spend time explaining how to play in such an unhurried way. I shall be using block services to create mixed use buildings. One idea you gave me is there are beautiful uk post offices that were created before the DLC and are just low density commercial. With a block service I can add post office functionality. Thank you. I often get inspiration from your videos and quite often the ideas are a bit lateral or out of the box.

You've really inspired and educated me to approach starting my next city in a more natural way. I've wanted to do a small rebuild of my small city(in Florida) that started out years ago as a large orange grove area and some of the designs still carry those road influences now even though they're wider, modernized etc. The housing still have some of the older homes combined with the more modern ones. A really nice mix. Thanks again.

PORTSMOUTH HYPE! I’m from NH as well and this made me miss that weird little city. Stoked to see what your full NE town comes out like. Maybe a Keene-like college town to come??

Awesome! I've seen Block Services in the workshop and surmised what they were used for but I've never actually seen them used. Great introduction. Thanks.

I love it. RU-vid recommended me this video and it inspired me to do 2 things: subscribe to your channel and see more from you, and also to finally get back to building a new city in CS! I absolutely love the idea of the blocks inside the buildings. What I did was merging residential with these 1-2 story shop assets but it always was a little janky. Thanks a lot!

Cities Skylines announced a new DLC yesterday: Plazas & Promenades. So, you can build vanilla walkable cities, soon! That's just amazing!

I love this cities concept! Great work!

really love your vids. the way you play cities skylines is so different. also your vids are very chill. it is 8 pm in my area now. perfect time to relax and watch your vids.

Glad you showed ppl the Block services. Ive been shouting them out over the last two years on my channel but my audiance is very small so great you shouted them out more ppl need theses they are amazing. Great video some great tips for ppl nice work.

It's funny, between this and the last video, you're saying "this isn't what cities is designed for", and you're not alone in this complaint, but for a few years now, I've not found that to be the way... Because I've been building all my maps from scratch. I sort of subconsciously took the same path as you're taking now, just because it simply made sense... It's really good though to see how you're adding your trademark beautiful touch to it!

Loving this series so far! Very interested to see where this town goes.

As a resident of central Massachusetts, I want to thank you SO MUCH for pronouncing "Worcester" correctly.

Love the small town feel. I'd also love to see someone tackle a suburban or exurban style build where there is no grid at all. It's probably a challenge to do but would look amazing.

Thanks for explaining block services so well! I have seen them in the Steam workshop but had no idea how they worked.

Hah, that's cool! Also, I never knew there were towns in the US which looked like English ones. Thanks dude. Watching from Portsmouth, England 🙂

Thanks for the focus on rt 1 and i95 A lot of further westers don't realize the dichotomy of the eastern coastal travel You either go really slow with great views and tourist traps on 1 or you go really slow because you're stuck in traffic on 95

I've been using the trick with "block services" for ages now! Glad to see that someone else is using it was well.

I'm loving this take on a city. New and inspirational! In general it's such an interesting idea

I might actually fire up the game again after seeing this. Seems a bit micromanagy to set populations and block services but you've given me some hope of making a realistic mixed use city in CS

i'm really loving YUMBL's approach . how he is developing , it's like in a year this channel will be my top ASMR source . he is investing a lot of time in each videos , to tell us a wonderful story . i'm emotionally getting attached with the genesis of a town & hooked to see how it grows .

Very nice work! I was thinking about how to make building mixed use and now you've shown me how! Inspired by your last video, I started a new build well off the initial highway (which I have downgraded from default 3 lanes to two). Using 81 tiles. I started my initial city well "south" of the designated starting square using a state highway. I haven't been been concerned about decorating with props etc but have been steam-rolling ahead to see how much stress I can place on the smaller roads without coming to a complete traffic dead-lock. To push it further, I used the options in TM:PE to shut off traffic despawning and turned on "realistic parking". Realistic Population, Indistries Rebalanced, Eldercare (Nursing Homes) as well as a couple other "realism" mods are in play. All four industries have been built with two small communities to support them. I'm using 6 lane large roads (no Parking) as arterials with as well as some 4 lane mediums. Collectors are mainly 4 lane "small roads" (no parking by default). I did NOT build directly on the arterial roadways but left a four unit space off each side. All acess to buildings requires leaving the artial roadways. I decised to add mass transit as I considered it needed (or reasonable) rather than using it for appearance sake. Therefore, I am only using buses, taxies, and two (connected) metro lines for now. There is also one passenger train station, one cargo train "hub"and an intercity bus/metro station. I have three roundabouts in the entire build, all a downloaded asset where the main road tunnels under and slip lanes are inclused for all four connecting roads. The state highways have been modified with three lane assymetrical roads (speed limits changed to highways speeds) for intersection turning lanes. I have seceral intersections with Timed Traffic Lights (very basic timings--nothing tricky). My build population now stands at ~174,000. (As a retired guy, I've been able to put a lot time into it)! I'm pleased to tell you that the entire city is supported by three state highways (no interstates needed). Traffic flow meter stays consistently at 82%. I finally brought down an interstate but did so not because it is needed but I did so as it fits my ideas for further expansion. Also--at 174,000 population--I figured the Feds would probably take notice of my city. :) So--while you're building slowly and creating a beautiful town (read--"doing it right") I'm stressing your idea of less highways. And my experience is--with a little attention--It Works! Edit: I use pedestrian walkways Extensively in high density areas!!!

Lol. As a utahn, that call-out hit real close to home. I rant about it almost daily. The worst part is most residents have just accepted it and say "well that's just the way it is, if you don't like it, just move"

This is a good example to, for me anyway, create a CS village/town. Very well explained and presented. Yet to see if I can use it... Thank U

I have been kicking around with this idea for a couple years now, but havent really had all the knowledge I thought I needed to really pursue it. These last 2 videos you have done have answered so many of my questions, so off I go...

Yumble, I sent a letter to Paradox valuing your opinions and gameplay. Only a few go so far when play in ng this game. Your thoughts and inspiration is what guides me into making my cities. I don't play as often as I should, but when I do, your videos I watch over and over if I get stuck!

I love your regional accent! Your builds are so relatable, always excited for next video :)

I am really enjoying this map, I made a few changes before playing, adding a few more outside connections, changing every junction to a roundabout (UK based, don’t judge me), changed every outside connection to 3 lanes to add a bit of an extra challenge with heavy outside traffic, plus removed all the tunnels and having the roads go over the top of the hills where possible. It’s a great map and I’m really enjoying it, I’ve had to upgrade some of the highway to a 2 lane highway (cross the line), but it’s really made it more realistic, challenging and enjoyable!

this is honestly so cool to see, i live in NH too! and i've been to the strawberry banke museum that you can see on the map at 16:11

After your last video I started a town called Lancester on the Little River map. It is now at almost 200.000 cims and my hardware is at its limit. So I guess I have to let it rest or get more RAM. I placed a lot of European buildings, though, because that's where I grew up.

This is the perfect video that I needed to redownloaded CS

This is very helpful. I've been working on a town inspired by lower NY/NJ and setting the workers for the mall is a must. The issue I have that I can't seem to fix is out of town traffic using my bridge from the town to the city as a way to not use the highway making tons of traffic. They even avoid the ramp onto the highway they should take just to use the bridge. When I follow most of the cars they never stay in the city.

Love this build style. Looking forward to seeing more!

Awesome explanation. I found that blocks before but had no idea what to use them for

Love what you're doing here - can't wait to see the next one!

this is amazing. id heard of stacking different ploppables, but that doesn't work as widely as those lil blocks.

Highly informative, evocative and fun, thank you YUMBL. :)

I just watched your video introducing Little Run the other day and when I checked your channel and saw it was 2 weeks ago I was sad there wasn't a continuation yet!

much better than my early game vanilla ""mixed use"" strategy of making low density residential grids with 1 or 2 one building commercial zones scattered throughout lol

Really like the new series, I've had very similar thoughts about building in cs

There's and undeniable tension between the game elements that encourage you to build big, build fast, get the bank balance high and the asthetic qualities of building a realistic and desirable city. I always play with money mode on as I like the 'game progression elements' but often baulk out when I hit a certain population point on a given map and it starts to look unsightly. I would love a series that shows how to keep the two elements in balance more. Any ideas hivemind?

This is an amazing idea. 👏

ive been making realistic towns recently too! they look way better and are easier to do right then a massive urban center.

I love literally everything about this and this is the content I’ve been waiting for, but the comment that I’d rather make is that your haircut looks very handsome yumbie

Anyone noticed the pedestrians throwing a party in a building on the background at 8:00 to 9:30? Partying so hard they come in flying and come out falling with style

Ive grown up in Staffordshire, just on the edge of the West Midlands, and seen a vast amount of different settlement types: I live in a medieval cathedral city, commute by rail to Birmingham, and regularly drive through the car-centric sprawl imbetween. Looking at it now, I consider myself very lucky to have grown up in such a varied landscape - I certainly know which one I prefer!

Awesome follow up video, wish I could get this on Console, but these videos will suffice. 😁

Kinda weird that mixed use as a concept isn't a vanilla feature. Not sure how it would work, maybe a shift+click of one zone over another?

this new dlc was every city planners dream, guaranteed

Phenomoenal video thanks! Subscribed to you on Steam!

I've d/l your map last month and it looks good!.

I have been thinking about this playstyle as I keep going back/forth with playing a mostly vanilla growable runthrough. I like hitting the milestones but I've yet to get full metropolis going because I play with Realistic Population and often get bored before I hit High Density zoning (perhaps I should try vanilla population to just *get* a big city done and dusted). To play this style, feels like you've got to get a lot of assets from the workshop first.

It would be nice if this could continue to become a regular Cities Skylines series that also provides insights into the real world - maybe like CPPs Clearwater County.

You have inspired me to take a day trip to portsmouth Now if only i can get a day off from working in the tourist hell that is Southern Maine🙃

Do you think it would be interesting to start off with a "reason" to start the city? Like you said, cities aren't built for no reason off of a highway interchange. For me, a reason would be something like an oil mine, or a large harbor, with a train line. Houses can be built around, to support the "feature", and slowly it could grow, and maybe one day become a mega city on it's own. In the age of cars, maybe it would be a good place for a petrol station, and motel, and a town starts there. Maybe a few houses are built to bring in workers to build a hydroelectric damn. I have been thinking about this since your last video. Unless you enable everything with a mod, We can only have specialized industries, or cargo ports later on. Without being able to start with something like that, it feels like the city has no reason to grow there.

Looking up the game, it's great that a passionate modding community is committed to creating realistic, modern cities; just a shame that the base game seems to lack such flexibility. Zoning in areas feels very... simcity 3000, very *nineties* if you will

Had no idea you were from NH. I’m originally from MA but have now lived in Portsmouth for over a decade.

8:00 people are so willing to go to the terrace bar that they are wall climbing to get there. :D

To be continued? You can't leave me hanging like that 😂

Portsmouth Brewery is a quaint brewpub. I'd recommend it if you're into craft beer. It has the exact "small New England" feel talked about in the video.

If I had a pc/laptop that could handle cities skylines, I would most defenitly try this map and this way of building. But I don't have money :(. Thanks for this inspiring video, I will try this on the ps4!

In my home city, every national road that was brought into the city (3 or 4, I can´t recall) acts as a major avenue when it reffers to in-city traffic. When I tried to replicate that in my first city, all of the avenues broke down at 20k population. That sort of killed my instinct lol. Also, that whole city is a gigantic one-way system. I wonder how that would work in the game

Been to Portland Maine but it was smaller town. All I really remember other then the old time architecture is three dollar Dewey’s.

Greetings from an old-town New Hampshireite! (Raised in Hampstead, currently in Nashua.) Represent! Love seeing the old New-England-Downtown style here, and yes, Portsmouth is probably the most beautiful example of it still around. Won't be really authentic until you put in a North or South Main Street which is nothing more than a series of old Victorians out to where the street changes name to indicate where it's headed off to (Concord St, Berlin Rd, what have you)! 🤣 Sadly there are very few of these old downtowns left, and many that are are becoming more and more run-down and abandoned. Especially all up around the North Country and in Coos. Region never really recovered from all the mills closing. 😞 Small town asset query: do you know of or have a preferred mod or setting that properly attaches driveways to non-sidewalked roads? All the houses having their driveways just... end... without connecting to the road which is right there is rather ugly in rural build areas. It irks me.

I loved this game for a few months and then realized this wasn't built in. I haven't touched it in several months now. I'm bitter about their reasons for not having built this functionality in. They have a reason on Reddit and I thought it was a cop-out. So I'm waiting for a better version or mod to come out to make this possible.

Portsmouth is my favorite city, its where my parents are from :D

So weird to see a town I've lived in reflected in my city skylines content... so weird. I do love the old feel of Portsmouth though.

So...... I REALLY respect some of these realistic builds I see people doing. BUT, for my own gameplay..... i WANT to play within the..... more traditional confines of the game. I DO use quite a few mods. But, I enjoy the randomness of seeing what grows in. I dont want to place each building individually..... Maybe its just me. I really hope in CS2 that they improve zoning so things grow in nicer with better variation in plot size.

With the river and train station, it reminds me a lot of Lafayette, IN

Lancaster, huh? I can't wait for you to build the farm shed where August Burns Red started their journey :D PS: the other day Biffa made a video with mixed use buildings where he plopped down residential on top of a commercial and it was basically 2 C:S buildings (like when you click on one, it's residential for example) just on top of each other and snapped. Although I am not sure if there are many different designs of these, or if those were like UK ones only.

Is there a particular camera that is allowing you to go inside the building to see the blocks, or a mod, or is it just they're taller buildings to start with?

I need to get this map and build my gothic old town there!

Awesome, a video! I love your videos so much. I often see you on Reddit!

Interesting that you New Englanders still pronounce Worcester the same way we do in England

Another term for the old American look is Americana Architecture. Americana Architecture is a period of architecture in America from 1887 to 1927. It is a period wherein the United States started to be less of a rustic farming nation to an industrial economic powerhouse in 1887 with many powerful and wealthy families popping up, as well as, companies and brands that are still around today. There was also a golden age of science and invention like with the Wizard of Central Park Thomas Edison, and man of the future Nichola Tesla making leaps and bounds. The era is known for its glorious Gilded Age mansions, the start of the modern highrise with buildings reaching higher than ten floors, and the majesty of American grand scale architecture such as, for example, the Chicago Worlds Fair in 1893 with its large majestic buildings and elegant waterways.

What kind of mod do you need to keep from getting forced to start how CS wants you to start your town? Or does it matter as long as you have a connection to the outside to start off?

I always appreciated the block services--but I did not realize they had expanded so much during my C:S hiatus. I simply adore this painless mixed-use method! Going to check that out forthwith.

Very nice! I'll be watching to see how you progress. I used to use 81 tiles all the time until I found it was the reason for several bizarre errors such as "range overflow" and "could not save." Do you get these? Do you know if they've been fixed?

In your Find It menu you have "unused" or a number listed on the assets. Is that a part of the mod itself, or a different mod? Mine doesn't have that, but maybe there's an option I need to tick?

I have one question. What is the mod, when you open "Find It" menu/toolbar and You have information, how many times You used every asset (in Your film is 3:59 for example). Please share this knowledge :) BTW. great job. PS. Sorry for my English... I hope I dont make many mistakes :)

Welp ... compelled to look it up - seems Andrew Jarvis was a one-time mayor of Portsmouth and of one of the city's founding families.

The game developers need to watch your vids for when CS2 comes out