Summarize your concept map in 1-2 paragraphs. Then, in a third paragraph, discuss how effectively the Cities: Skylines simulator captures these interactions. Feel free to include screenshots.
The concept map I constructed tackles the topic of ‘how do urban design, transportation, and the natural environment individually impact the health and vitality of a city’? From this, I branched out into those three points: environment, transportation, and urban design. With the environment, I took a look at the reshaping of landscapes by developers, the demands of the inhabitants in the city, as well as the role that nature plays in being destructive towards the city, and how all of these points tie into the health of a city. In transportation, both air quality and fauna/water systems came to mind when considering how the health of a city is impacted. Lastly, urban design tackled the two points of resources and the urban heat island effect and how these can also affect the vitality of a city.
When it comes to these aspects put in a simulation, such as Cities: Skylines, I think the game did a nice job at keeping it realistic. I believe the simulation- for the most part- took these into consideration. For example, look at the environment and how natural disasters affect it. The simulation took this into consideration by assuring that forest fires were a thing, and that it could damage your city if you didn’t pay attention to it. Similarly, the pollution of water was also an element added into the game, just as reshaping the landscapes also took a part. The game didn’t necessarily get the flora or fauna aspect right, as it isn’t touched on much in-game, nor is the urban heat island. Overall, I think that the simulation was still a great idea to put as a requirement for the class, and it definitely opened up my eyes as to how developing a city works and all the obstacles that come with planning one, even if it did not hit the mark with some real life elements we may face as planners one day.