Here is a thread on how to start a new city. If you would like to add any information, please fell free.

This thread skips many things and gets right to the city part. If you need help on how to form the land for a city, I will create a thread on that later.


First, found the city with the name and mayor's name of your choice. It can be anything that you wish.

Once you have done that, if it is the first city in your region, then it will be hard to just start out and expect the city to boom unless you do a few key things. First you will need to have some place for your sims to live. Zone low density zones where you want within your city.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/3095/746Image1a.jpg




Next, you will need to zone some industrial zone. Zone the lowest density that supports industry. Notice how there is a space between the industrial zone and the residential zones. This makes sure that polloution from the industry does not make the houses unwanted by the sims.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/3095/746Image2a.jpg





For this city, I zoned a good deal of housing zones. You should zone quite a bit to insure that you have enough space for sims to live.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/3095/746Image3a.jpg





Next, I placed a Coal power plant. This power plant is the chepest power plant. I placed a gap from everything else to make sure that the polloution from it does not ruin other zones. This power plant is the best because you can bring up the funding for more power easily.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/3095/746Image4a.jpg




Bring down the funding for the power plant. At the start, there is no way you will be able to use all of the power energy. Remember to put power lines to your city. Also, at this point put in a garbage dump. 6x6 should do it. Slightly smaller is fine.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/3095/746Image5a.jpg




Next, place a fire station. This is the only civic building you need at this point. Police, education, hospitals, parks, and everything else is not needed and will only cost you money.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/3095/746Image6a.jpg




Here is an aerial of the current city.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/3095/746Image8a.jpg




Now, let the city play and watch it grow. Keep up with some of the crucial demands. Education, health, and crime are not crucial. Here, traffic got bad so I upgraded the street to a road. Traffic is what runs your city. If people can't get to work, they will leave your city.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/3095/746Image9a.jpg




What I have so far: [keep up with the power demands as they will go up with a growing city]
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/3095/746Image10a.jpg




I zoned some commercial which is not needed but you can have. I also doubled the amount of residential zoning in the city.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/3095/746Image11a.jpg





Traffic on the one road got horrible so I placed three more roads to ease the traffic.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/3095/746Image12a.jpg




I placed a large school and a large fire station to cover the community. This will raise the education levels over time. It is not completly necessary but you can place it if your budget can allow it.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=14591&password=&sort=1&cat=3095




I placed an avenue to ease traffic once more.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=14592&password=&sort=1&cat=3095

Just what i need Style, Big Thankx man...

Some things I would do different. One is putting the industrial near the edge of the city. Two is placing bus stops thoroughly around the city. It might cost a lot of money to start, but its well worth it when the population grows. You wont have to demolish thousands of homes to put them in for growing traffic problems. Also i like to run Avenues, with streets running off of it. And i suggest you plan ahead for a highway if you intend to use one down the road when you have more income. Once again it saves demolishing homes.

SS454, all of what you said is good. Usually, it is nice to have some sort of idea of how you want to plan your city and make sure that people will actually use the avenues and highways rather than those being cut off and you have over-used roads. Bus stops at the start are good but not required.

Good work Style, my cities keep going broke.

Thanks. :)

Did you ever get it to work?

I haven't had the time to try yet, but I'll do it some time later this week, damn uni assignments.

Real big thanx...

Very good info! thanks alot.

how did you make revenue 3000 while expense 500? I am usually in a serious deficit or a really small margin no matter what I do.

Bring down funding of the power plant as usually you don't need all the electricty that it produces. Also, a coal plant is the cheapest form of electricty. If you want, also get a water tower as it is cheaper than a pump.

yeah, I tried those, but my revenue never got so high while expense was so low. What was your tax rate Style?

^^ I keep my tax rate at the normal amount. in the regular sim city 4 that is 7 and with rush hour i think it is 10. if it is at 7 bring it up to 10 to make more money. once you have industry you can make it a little higher, but i would not sugest it too much.

:)

Also Legalise Gambling as soon as you can - that nets you 100 per month!

thanks a lot style!
:)