So if you could single-handedly design a city, what would it look like? I tend to think too much about things, and this is one of those things I would try to give my city an intuitive layout, similar to this, Starting at the city centre, which has no roads but with parking around the perimeter. Addresses could be located by the ring number and 'block' number, blocks being numbered like a clock, the block right of North starting at 1. As long as you knew which direction you were facing (and you would since streets would be labeled) you could use logic to find you're way around instead of a map or GPS. Most, if not all, roads would be raised with identical footpaths following underneath. Allowing interconnecting spirals of public parkland (green) to flow throughout the entire city. You could ride a horse through nonstop parkland right to the city centre if you wanted to. The roads would also serve double duty as utility lines for electricity, water, etc. That's the (very) basic idea anyway.
Mine would be based off of self sufficient 'neighborhoods' about 10 or so miles square. Each neighborhood has enough businesses to enploy all inside so commuting becomes irrelevant as everything would be within walking distance, and also it would grow upwards much like Manhattan and be cut into three levels, high-density, cheap apartments on the lowest levels, with apartment size and such increasing as it goes up. It would all be designed to be compact, and make even going outside your building unnecessary, much less your neighborhood, unless you were going on vacation, thus making an efficient, compact, uncrowded-feeling, and quiet city.
That's very similar, and yet completely different to my design :derpe: Mine would also employ a self sufficient design. Each block would produce it's own power, food and water, any surplus would be stored at a central point(s) for various other uses; general backup, trading (of foods), emergencies and extra power for larger industrial uses. Blocks would mainly consist of residential and commercial buildings along with a "common area", people may work where they live or elsewhere, it's up to them. Of course, this is excluding large industrial buildings, these would be kept a good distance from residence. Building upwards would be general practice everywhere for it's space saving/efficient properties. However, not in the typical sky scraper, concrete jungle way, instead everything would be built upwards; gardens, parks, houses, businesses, public areas etc. Completely unlike yours though, my city design would try to encourage people to leave their building/house and block, through the inherent uniqueness of each block along with efficient and easy to use personal/public transport systems.
