The Spear - WIP

[Dion]

Hey ^.^

I’ve decided to throw myself into the deep end and try my hand at a city design.
About a year ago I created a regional map for a creative writing exercise – the map isn’t great and lacks a fair bit of the detail needed for anything else but had enough in it for me to use as a reference.
Having dredged up the map I’m going to have a stab at designing ‘The Spear’.



Background:
The setting and theme of the world is early steampunk/shamanistic. The nation of Navar of which this city is capital is part of a much larger federated political entity called ‘The Commonwealth’. The Commonwealth itself is an aristocratic oligarchy and has an established religion that thrives independently of the current political structure.

The Spear is located on opposite sides of two narrow shelves above a steep-sided canyon that divides a large desert region. The canyon was created as a result of a cataclysmic event that split the desert in two. A subterranean river was diverted and forms a slow moving stream that now runs its full length from mountain range in the north to the southern sea.

The centre of the city is dominated by a pillar of sandstone which has given the city its name – the pillar is the home to a monument that is held sacred by the religious establishment and is also the main thoroughfare between the eastern and western shelves. As a result of its religious significance, the Spear prospers from a constant influx of pilgrims and is often an epicenter of devotional festivals.

The shelves forming the city are set below the flat surface of the desert, the city itself is mostly protected by a sandstone cliff/escarpment that forms a sheer wall to the back.


I’ve made a very basic model to plan with before I start sweating it out in photoshop ^.^ / All ideas and advice greatfully received!