Leche: City Builder terrain, utilities, services, and budget guide
Build a stable first city by reading elevation, connecting power and water, balancing services, zoning demand, maintenance, and the civic budget.
Read terrain before placing a district
Use Inspect and the map layers before committing expensive infrastructure. Hills and shorelines change placement cost; hills also increase road and rail maintenance and can increase water demand.
High ground is useful, but pumps cannot be placed everywhere and uphill coverage is constrained. Plan utility corridors before filling the map with zones.
Connect power and water
A zone is only a promise until utilities reach it. Build a connected grid, check the power and water layers, and leave room for later capacity rather than scattering isolated service pieces.
Match zoning to demand
Residential, commercial, and industrial demand changes as the city grows. Add small amounts of the zone currently needed and wait for development feedback instead of painting a large district at once.
Traffic, pollution, crime, fire risk, and abandonment are signals that growth has outrun roads or services.
Protect the budget
Construction is only the first cost. Roads, rail, utilities, and civic services create ongoing obligations, while policies and bonds change the city's options and exposure.
Keep a reserve for named disasters and service gaps. A slower city with connected utilities and positive operating room is easier to recover than a larger city built on debt.