So you want to build a city, do you?
Okay so, as promised, these are some thoughts about how cities start.
What gives a city its shape, how does it grow and change, and where should you put it in the first place?
The first thing you should probably know is, how is the city being founded? Is this the whim of some tyrant, a mad but possibly brilliant ruler who plans to build his own mini-utopia? Is it merely a practical response to a practical problem – a fort for soldiers or a workers camp near some important industry? Is it, perhaps, going to start just because a group of families say “you know what, I reckon we’ll stay here”? Or possibly it was because there was a handy road/bridge/crossroads/ford etc. and it seemed like a good idea at the time? All of these have happened historically, although a fantasy setting might offer new reasons for founding a city.
Where to put a city can be incredibly complicated or simply simple, depending on how much detail you care to go into. I think I’ll keep it simple: water, food, building materials. Without these, a city cannot exist. Water is obviously the first consideration, but remember, if your settlement is going to become a large city it needs enough water. A meagre little stream won’t satisfy a hundred thousand people, will it? Ideally, therefore, you’ll be looking for a river. Rivers are better than lakes because they not only bring fresh water in, they also take used water out. If you don’t fancy a river settlement you can also look for a spring (particularly handy for hilltop settlements and forts), aquifers or groundwater storage (to be honest, I’m a bit fuzzy on these; I assume they’ll be of most use in deserts, but I’m sure there are other guild members who know more than me about this). If all else fails, you can try to bring water in (i.e. aqueducts or even caravans, but now you’re getting desperate). If imported water is your only option (i.e. there are no rivers, lakes, springs, aquifers) then your city is not going to last long; building aqueducts might be something you do when the water supply gets too dirty, but by then you’ll already have a large city, surely?
Don’t forget dinner. I’m not going to get all technical about this. Food comes from the ground, from water, or possibly from the wilderness (i.e. hunter-gatherer). A city that depends on animals hunted nearby or gathered plants might be an interesting idea, but how big will it grow, really? Pre-modern fishing can support a small-medium population, but the best option is farming. Obviously, farming needs suitable soil. A rocky island in the middle of nowhere isn’t going to grow very much, is it? Good soil is rich in nutrients, and that usually means it is full of organic (plant or animal) material. Forests are good – all those fallen leaves turning into mulch, what could be better? Volcanoes have also got a reputation for producing extremely fertile ash-based soil. Try googling ‘best places for farming’ and see what you get.
When it comes to farming, also give some thought to what kind of farming. Are you farming crops or keeping livestock? Crops generally produce more food, but are actually a lot harder to keep going. You have to wait a full year for your next harvest, you need to keep the yield protected and stored (which may mean keeping it dry, keeping rats/birds out etc.), and you need to irrigate. Animals, on the other hand, are ready to go. Chickens give you food most days of the week. Think about how many people you can feed with a single cow, or sheep for that matter. And then there are the additional benefits – wool, leather, bones for toolmaking etc. You don’t need to bring water to your animals, because you can bring them to the water, and if you have to move (eg to start a new town) you can take them along. The downsides are that they take a long time to mature, and (unless you live somewhere cold) you can’t store the meat for long. In ancient times, the Germanic tribes depended on livestock much more than crops. What does this have to do with cities? It’s about how much land you have and how it is used, and how many people you can support. You might find large farms outside the city walls, or most people keeping a few chickens or a pig in their backyard (which means they need to HAVE a backyard).
So, that’s food.
I won’t worry about building materials; it’s pretty self-explanatory really. Just give some thought as to where they get their building materials (incl. for different social classes), how available those materials will be in any location, and how suitable each type is (eg stone doesn’t burn but is heavy and will get very cold; bricks require an industry to produce them and money to buy them; wood is convenient and warm but can also be dangerous).
Lastly, it’s obviously important to think about why people live where they live. If they are worried about being attacked, they’ll choose somewhere high or easily protected; if they feel safe they will probably live somewhere they can make a living, either through farming, manufacturing, services (eg pilgrims) or trade.
So, if you want to build a city – and you want it to be historically realistic – here’s a checklist of things to know: where do they get their water/food/building materials? Who is founding the settlement? Why has a particular site been chosen? You need ALL of these things, not just some of them.
I think that’s enough for today. To be honest I was hoping for a better response, and so I won’t add any more of these essay-like posts unless people sincerely want more. Also I’ve definitely forgotten to include many important points. So please, provide your ideas, questions, comments, critiques, and happy worldbuilding.
PS: I should include a warning. Be aware, when starting down the road of uber-realistic world-building that it can be a trap. You spend so long trying to make things ‘right’ that you don’t get round to anything else. I’ve grown heartily sick of trying to make every detail of my worlds make sense, and now deliberately just go with what feels right. Some people are happy to take this path, and good luck to them. But don’t say I didn’t warn ya.
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