Westerville, Ohio is a suburb of Columbus and is located northeast of the downtown area. There is no public transportation in the suburb, forcing most travel to be done by car. There are sidewalks  and bike paths for pedestrian movement, but not all are well lit. Most transportation for food access is done with cars. Traffic is mostly light, and with access to a car, food is never far away. The area is very safe with low crime rates. The safe, accessible area allows for food to be obtained easily, while the inclusion of public transportation would improve access even more.

Families access healthy food at one of the large grocery stores in the area. Most families use cars to travel to and from these stores and therefore only go a few times a week.  Westerville can be categorized as food secure, with multiple grocery stores within a short drive of residents.  These grocery stores have healthy options that are affordable and assessable.

There is an abundance of restaurants along the main corridor, creating a food swamp. There are many choices for unhealthy fast foods, but are some healthier restaurants as well. Regardless, there are many food options one can access with a car. The abundance of convenient high calorie options encourages citizens to eat unhealthy foods instead of healthy options available at local grocery stores.

Having better public transportation or transit options other than cars will give food access to more individuals. Providing more healthy and convenient food establishments will help reduce the food swamp present in the area. The city environment is planned out well and allows safe access to food sources in the area. Overall, Westerville has good food systems in place and is successful in providing healthy food to citizens.

My concept map shows the major topics related to transportation, urban design, and sustainability and how they relate to each other. Transportation consists of individual and public options, with individual transportation consisting of cars, roads, and pedestrians, with public transportation encompassing public transit, busses, and metro. It is also important to show the goals of transportation, and the problems associated with it as well. The purpose is to move people and goods, but problems are created by traffic and a lack of connectivity. Public transportation related to sustainability, with public transit and pedestrians reducing emissions compared to transit by car. The movement of people is facilitated by the separation of functions in a city, related to urban planning by creating different districts for different uses. Urban design consists of city layout, districts, parks, and making the city attractive. The layout and amenities of a city are extremely important, allowing it to be functional. Districts allow for different functions to be grouped together to create distinct areas. Parks are recreational areas that break up the continuity of the city and are related to sustainability and health. Making a city attractive is another goal of urban design, through landscaping and appropriate amenities. Sustainability of a city includes health, longevity, and nature. The reduction of cars and emissions help import exports the health of a city and the cleanliness of the air. This is closely related to transportation and the increase in public transit. Longevity refers to the longevity of projects, meaning they will be functional for a long time. This category also encompasses policies that support the future like sustainable energy. Nature is related to parks and includes trees and the inclusion of natural spaces in a city. Nature is present in urban planning through city beatification, landscaping, and recreational areas.

The city skylines simulation roughly addresses these topics, but does not always display them completely or accurately. Transportation in the simulation is fairly accurate, incorporating all types of transit and showing problems like traffic and budgeting issues. The simulation does not do a good job of showing the environmental impacts of transportation and it is difficult to show when emissions are reduced. Urban design in the simulation is detailed, with the player being able to completely design the entire city. While there is freedom in the city layout, the simulation doesn’t provide an incentive to beautifying the city and adding landscaping, but does address issues of placing residential projects near industrial ones. The simulation also shows where amenities like parks and schools are in demand, facilitating urban design that addresses these issues. The simulation does not address sustainability well, with the only measures of pollution from industrial areas and wastewater outlets. The simulation does not show transportation related emissions or how they are reduced with the introduction of public transportation.  The simulation does include sustainable energy sources like solar and wind power, but lacks incentive for them to be used. Overall the simulation addresses all of these topics, but not in the same way they exist in our world.

Transportation in the Simulation:

Parks and Plazas in the Simulation:

Woodruff Avenue
Woodruff Avenue is a two-lane road with large sidewalks, bigger setbacks, and green space with trees between the road and sidewalk. There are multiple crosswalks and the area is very pedestrian-friendly. There is little traffic and not much parking due to the area being more focused on pedestrian traffic. Buildings range from residential dorms to classrooms and educational space. This is a very successful street showing good planning

Cannon Drive
Cannon Drive is a two-lane road with some sidewalks on only one side of the street. The sidewalks are extremely narrow and uneven. The area is not as safe for pedestrians and is not accessible. The traffic is low and the street caters to car traffic. There is little tree lining or public space. There are multiple parking lots along the street. This is a bad example of street design, with dangerous sidewalks and little public space.

The Oval
The area around the oval is pedestrian-only, blocked off to cars. There are large sidewalks with trees, green spaces, and other public areas. There is no parking due to the absence of cars. Educational buildings line the street which caters to a pedestrian audience. This is a good example of pedestrian street design.

High Street
High Street is extremely busy with lots of traffic. On one side of the street, there are small setbacks, little trees and green space, and commercial development. The other side of the street is the campus, with larger setbacks, green space, and trees. Each side shows a very different look at planning strategies and functions and each side is successful in its purpose.

18th Avenue
18th Avenue is partly public, partly private. Near High Street, the road is open to all cars, with sidewalks and large setbacks. The road then becomes open to only authorized vehicles, making it a mostly pedestrian street. This section has no sidewalks due to the road being open to pedestrians. There are smaller setbacks and trees in this section. Both parts of 18th Avenue are successful, but the oval shows a better execution of a pedestrian road.

1. My city is named Bibopolous, this is a combination of my last name (Bibbo) and Metropolis (a large city). Many of my friends call me by my last name and I thought it was fitting to name my city after myself.

2. My city has evolved by transitioning from a mainly industrial city to an office centered city. As the city grew, new residential and commercial areas added were high density, making the city more compact. The city has also grown on both sides of the highway, separating the city into two parts. This will be bridged once the highway is adjusted as part of the improvement plan.

3. The current population is 79,178 people. The population is trending upwards with about 200 new residents per cycle. The population has increased drastically over time with some periods of little growth and others with rapid growth. The city is largely made up of adults at 32% of the population, while children make up the smallest demographic at 7%.

4. A goal for the built environment is to become more attractive. The city is functional but could be more aesthetically pleasing and more accessible to pedestrians. A strong point of the built environment is a low amount of traffic, with an average flow of 71%. A weakness is that most traffic problems occur at a large highway roundabout, an intersection that needs improvement. An opportunity for the city is to reconstruct this interchange and relocate the highway underground. A threat to the built environment is the density of the city, allowing little room for public transportation and recreational paths.

Actions to improve the built environment:

• Reconfigure highway roundabout into an interchange with bridges and tunnels
• Convert stretches of highways to tunnels to reduce noise pollution and create space for new development
• Add pedestrian paths and landscaping to make the city more attractive

5. A goal for housing is to provide living with easy access to the community and access to all services and utilities. A strength of housing is that there are both low and high-density residential areas in multiple parts of the city with all necessary amenities including parks, health, and education. A weakness is that much of the residential areas are grouped together, separate from the commercial areas of the city. An opportunity is to better bridge this gap while connecting residential zones to pedestrian paths. A threat is a low demand for housing in the city at the moment. This will change as the city grows.

Actions to improve housing development:

• Connect residential areas to parks with paths
• Create new residential areas throughout the city
• Construct residential areas near other zones

6. A goal for economic development is to become more balanced. Currently, there is more office space than there is demand. A strength is the majority of economic development is centrally located and easy to access. A weakness is the abundance of economic zoning, causing buildings to be abandoned due to a lack of need. An opportunity for economic development is building different industrial zones like farming and forestry to take advantage of the natural resources in the city. A threat is a low demand for economic development.

Actions to improve economic development:

• Reduce the amount of economic development to meet demand
• Add industry districts to take advantage of natural resources
• Use old economic space for parks and amenities

7. A goal for transportation is to not lose money on the transportation systems. Currently, transportation has a negative profit of about $12,000. A strength of the system is that multiple transit options are available, including train, bus, and plane. A weakness is that spending on transit vastly outweighs its income. An opportunity is to reconfigure bus routes to make them more successful and less expensive. A threat is a demand for more transportation services, while they are not financially successful.

Actions to improve transportation:

• Reconfigure and reduce bus routes
• Reduce the amount of train infrastructure to meet current demand
• Reduce spending on transportation

8. A goal for services and utilities is to meet citizen’s demands and provide all the amenities possible for the community. A strength is that water, power, fire, police, education, and health services all currently have extra capacity. A weakness is that about 19% of citizens are uneducated. An opportunity is to expand community services to increase city attractiveness and citizen happiness. A threat is the cost of these services and utilities could be more than the budget can allow for.

Actions to improve Community services and utilities:

• Add schools in residential areas without them
• Add more services for citizens
• Adjust funding for services

9. A goal for parks and recreation is to provide a network of parks across the city easily accessed by all citizens. A strength is the abundance of park and recreation facilities. A weakness is that many of these parks are not connected by pedestrian paths and there is a lack of these paths across the city. An opportunity is to expand these facilities and connect them to benefit citizens. A threat is the development of more paths and facilities could involve demolishing existing buildings and roads.

Actions to improve parks and recreation:

• Connect parks with pedestrian paths
• Build more parks and recreation facilities in all parts of the city

10. A goal for the natural environment is to preserve natural areas in different parts of the city, including forests and waterfronts. A strength of the natural environment is that there are many natural areas that have been undeveloped, especially along the lakefront. A weakness is that much of this land is in one area away from the city center. An opportunity is to preserve natural areas and add pedestrian paths to connect them to the park system. A threat is that preserving natural areas may prevent development from expanding in certain areas.

Actions to improve the natural environment:

• Preserve natural land, especially along the lakefront
• Connect natural areas to park system with paths

11. A goal for future land use is to develop land to benefit citizen’s demands and provide a workable environment that connects to the rest of the city. A strength of future land use is that it will take into consideration the lessons learned from previous development in the city and will cater directly to citizen’s current needs. A weakness of new development is that it is away from the current city center in a less desire able location. Opportunities new land-use provides includes expanding the city in a smart way that can allow the city to become more connected and provide new resources to the public. A threat is that new development could disrupt natural areas in the city.

Actions for future land use:

• Develop land using lessons learned from previous development
• Connect new development seamlessly to existing city

12. To achieve the goals above, I will begin by reconfiguring roadways, highways, and zoning to meet current needs. This will be a large construction phase of the plan. After this is completed, smaller work like adding parks, pedestrian paths, and reconfiguring public transit options can begin. Finally, the plans for future expansion will be implemented.

This exercise in comprehensive planning provides a good look at how planners identify possible improvements and plans for a city, but the simulation does not fully represent reality.  For example, in the simulation, there are only very limited ways that citizens can provide feedback. In reality, city planning has begun to involve more of the public opinion. Comprehensive plans mostly go through specific phases. Phases include research, clarification of community goals, formulation, implementation, and revision (Levy). In the simulation, the planning process remains relatively unchanged with the simulation providing information about land resources, traffic, and more. A population prediction is difficult to replicate, but the simulation shows current population patterns. The clarification of community goals is extremely limited, with almost no citizen input in Cities: Skylines. This process would normally consist of an open discussion with citizens, businesses, and other groups affected by the proposed planning (Levy). This is not possible in the simulation, but demands for different zones are shown at the bottom left of the screen. Formulation consists of laying out and comparing multiple options (Levy). Since everything in the simulation is decided by one planner, different ideas do not need to be agreed upon by different groups, undermining reality. Implementation, in reality, involves capital investments and deciding what can be done in regards to the budget (Levy). In the simulation, there are no capital investments, but there is a limited amount of money available to use shown at the bottom of the game screen. Finally, revision is the process of checking and updating the plan as needed to meet the current needs of the city (Levy). This can be done by the game player while implementing the plan in cities: skylines similar to reality. Overall, the simulation is not realistic especially due to the lack of citizen input and funding differences. Despite being different than reality, the simplified version of city planning in cities: skylines is easy to use and is a nice broad view of the world of city planning.

Works Cited

Levy, J. M. (2016). Contemporary urban planning (11th ed.). New York; London: Routledge.

My name is Jake Bibbo and I am from Westerville, just outside Columbus. I am Majoring in Architecture and minoring in City and Regional Planning.

I decided to take Innovative City because I am planning on minoring in City and regional planning. The way we organize our cities has always interested me. After being able to travel to many different places, I realized that there isn’t one right way to build a city, and I began to wonder why I liked some cities much more than others. I found it interesting how some places were designed in a way that promoted spending time outdoors and others seemed to do the opposite. I think our environment plays a large role on how we see the world and since many of us will live our lives in cities, it is important that they are designed in a way that benefits us.

It is difficult to choose just one city that is my favorite, but if I had to pick it would probably be Venice, Italy. Venice feels like a dream, it’s an endless maze of tiny streets and waterways completely free of cars. Some parts of the city are swamped with tourists, but if you let yourself explore, the city is quiet and peaceful.

Part of what makes Venice special, is that it is literally a ticking time bomb. With threats of sinking, sea level rise and mass tourism, it’s a city unlike any other that could soon be lost forever. Despite having no cars, Venice still has public transportation and the entire city is assessable on foot. Every corner of Venice is beautiful and most importantly, the food is fantastic.