Arenzano

kipate updated Arenzano with a new update entry:

New Update

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@skullz613 Is it not possible to upload images with measures exceeding 1,600x1,600?

I wanted to post an update, but could not upload images from my files, and embedding them via the media section only lead to a link to the section, no picture was shown. Anything I'm missing, or something that has gone wrong?

 

Sorry, guys, no new update until I've figured out how to upload larger images without having to use servies like postimage.org.
There are some new photos in the media section -> Arenzano | XLNation - Cities XXL

 

My images have a width of 7,600 pixels for megascreenshots or 1,920 for common screenshots I reduced the image file size to about 3 MB for the megascreenshots, though. Probably there's an option for a tradeoff concerning the screen size and the physical size?

 

kipate updated Arenzano with a new update entry:

Holiday Season coming

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Oh, you

Thanks for your appraisal, it means a lot to me! And I can tell you that I'm happy you gave the Florence Pack to our small community of Cities X(X)L players. I guess without the buildings that come with the pack, it would have been almost impossible to do all the micro-management!

Also, sorry for having 'borrowed' your idea concerning the power lines on the construction platforms

I will be quite busy for a while, so the next large update will have to wait for a long time. Nonetheless, I guess that Miguel, Inan, and you will be able to keep us informed on your magnificent cities

 

So, for whom it may concern, I would like to present the concept behind the city - @JuanAcadé and @ObelicS pointed out some noteworthy features wihtin their critiques.

So, what was the concept behind the city, and how did it change over time? What has been my vision for this little island?

Well, let's start with what was given - the empty island:
Every term that has a dark green ellipsis around it marks an idea that was given right from the beginning and which has either been successfully created or will surely be constructed later on. Of course, I cannot create wind, but the idea of main wind directions being given has been in my mind from the beginning onwards. Regarding the winds, the island resembles Ischia (an island close to Naples). Not sure if it's a good idea to have the runway not facing the winds, but let's see


Now when you read the statistics about Arenzano, the high number of islanders (about 106,000) will probably surprise you (especially some of you 'Muricans ). Well, @Monty once told me that the land area of the map would probably comprise about 35km², this would yield a density of around 3,000 inhabitants/km². Now some Midwesterners will have their eyes dropping out, whilst New Yorkers will only be yawning

Well, let's get this into perspective: The city of Livorno, located at the western Italian coast, has a density of about 1,500 inhabitants/km², while the city of Florence has a density of about 3,700 inhabitants/km². So there is a wide range. But still, it's an island, isn't it? And small standalone sea islands located in Western countries usually don't face such high densities, especially if they are situated more than just a few hundred metres apart from the main coast. And Arenzano simply cannot serve as a refuge for all the people that want to escape the densely populated cities and towns in the Tuscany - as Ischia does for Naples

So now I want to argue why I nonetheless think that such a high density is possible for an island of that size:
In my opinion, to have a city of that size functioning on an island like the one given, several conditions have to be fulfilled:

1) There has to be a strong economic base that does not depend on either agriculture or on strong seasonal fluctuations (like tourism). I think this is given. Of course, there are many people that work in the tourism sector, but the city has become a center for high-tech and high-precision products over the last five decades (you can see the large number of high-tech companies all around the town). For these products, it's not necessary to have huge bulk carriers shipping iron ore to Arenzano, it can rather be seen as refinement process; you don't need huge carriers for these
Still, was it not more likely that companies would rather set up their facilities on the mainland - especially when almost all potential customers do not live on the island? Well, the harbour offers direct shipping all over the Mediterranean Sea, and the shortest ferry trip to the mainland only takes about one hour in case you use the slow ferry. So yes, there may be additonal transport costs, but they will be rather small.

2) The city has to have a functioning infrastructure; energy supply, water, waste, and sewage water management, and of course, food supply. But this is all given. And cables to the mainland offer additional capacities concerning the energy consumption. Furthermore, a speed ferry that is subsidized by the local government offers quick and cheap trips to some mainland ports with a catamaran. A small airport allows for quick business trips (and it seasonally offers direct flights from British cities, so the British people have another spot to get their white backs roasted in summer ).

3) Naturally, the island has to offer opportunities to attract young people. Why would I want to spend my young years on an island and not in Rome or Milan? Why would I want to start a family on an island? Well, these questions are the hardest to answer. And I can imagine that the above named cities have more to offer. The city does have a small university, it offers summer festivals, there are many places to go diving, jet-skiing, sailing, and the like. Of course, if you are a fan of quiet hiking trips within large forests, the island may not be your favourite, but once again, you can go to the mainland rather quickly and then enjoy hiking trips there.
Does the city offer high-paying jobs that involve rather your brain than your muscles? Well, there is a small shipyard that offers ship repairs that also designs its own sail boats and yachts. There are several organizations that focus on marine biology. One insurance company focused on ship insurances has a branch in Arenzano. And of course, all the high-precision companies will need professionals... so yes, there are such jobs.

TLDR: in my eyes, it's possible to have a functioning city on an island like St. Martin

Now, for the design of the city and especially the currently built areas: If you have read the history part carefully, you will have noticed that I once mentioned a Benedictine abbey that was founded on the island; but then I never showed you some photos of said abbey Well, truth is that I wanted to place such an abbey, but at the time given, I was unsure whether all the mods would allow to construct a detailed abbey of which there are many in Italy. So I thought that I should reserve a spot for the island, which can be found on the eastern coast. This would imply that there was no singular location at which the city's development started, but I think that's not the worst to happen

Concerning the segmentation of the city, I think most of it can be explained either by the historical development or by the topography:

Starting with the Old Town, the small bay where the former sickbay is located (large octagon in the lower left half of the Old Town area) has been serving as a harbour since the Romans took over the island. Due to aquifers and the small lakes, water supply was given; a town grew nearby. When the Pisan Republic took the island several hundred years later, it was natural to use the same place once again. The town was fortified and there where plans for several defensive castles to hinder e.g. the Saracens from taking control over island: The large castle at the northern tip of the island was finished, as was the small castle in the small bay in the southeastern part of what today forms the New Town.

Another that was started after the Genoese Republic had seized the island, but it remained unfinished and the ruins later served as a base for the new hotel.

It seems natural to assume that the modern harbour was developed close to the ancient harbour. I also think that is easy to see why the original New Town (northwards of the Piazza Cavour [the large circle in the center of the image]) was placed in between the two finished castles. Of course, back then, walls were placed along the borders, but the northeastern coast of the New Town is quite steep, so it's difficult for ships to land there.

After the Genoese Republic was defeated by Venice, Venice never sent soldiers, so the city tried to establish close bounds with Florence, to stay protected. Their elites had the Medici Garden constructed outside of the Old Town; this explains that several small villages grew nearby, which now form the Southern Inner Districts.

The main Western Inner District is situated along the former main road to the small lakes. Furthermore, the area offered space to grow crops, thus it makes sense in my eyes that people have settled there.

Now why do the expressways cut through the Inner Districts? Well, back in the 1950s and 1960s, the automobile became the primal carrier for travelling between two places. Given the size of the city and the plans for a new modern town, a ring road was planned that offered extensions to connect a) the airport with the central business district, and b) the ferry port with the rest of the city without having to drive through all the small roads to get there. The area of the modern business district (small southern part of the New Town area) was the only one bombed in WWII, so most of the old structures had to be raized after the bombardment, and the area could thus be used for placing the 'car era' structures there.

Well, I know it's a long text, but I hope it helps you to understand the city a bit better. If you have questions, feel free to ask

Now, I need an island (it's a slow song, but two minutes, and you will like it )