Mapping a City - where do I start?

[Devor]

Hello everybody. I'm trying to map out a city for my fantasy novel, and as the title says, I don't know where to begin. I have a lot of details stuck in my head, and I can't figure out how to get them on paper or computer.

I need a process that ends up with something I can publish in a book. Ideally I would like to be able to color code the buildings between business, residential, and apartment buildings, so that you can see the different neighborhoods and how they would mingle. And there are maybe six to a dozen points that would need some kind of special attention artwork because of the fantasy elements.

So, what's my best bet for doing this? Would it be more effective to purchase some map making software myself, or to sketch it by hand and then look for an artist? Are my requirements too high? What kind of a project workload or pricing am I looking at?

I'm new here, but I've heard a lot of good things about the Cartographer's Guild, so please help me out.

[Falconius]

This has always been my favorite city tutorial. The best method is as you describe, just sketch thing you'd like in it, make things as simple as lines for major roads you'd like and loose shapes with names you'd like for neighborhoods, and rectangles with names for buildings you'd like to place in. Something really basic and simple like this:

That makes it really easy to change things around and add or subtract pieces, and it doesn't feel to precious so you don't have to worry about butchering it. I find it helpful to imagine the terrain first, put that in, then think about logistics and economy in the background whilst I think about the city historically trying to imagine what they would put in and how it would develop over a time period and just add the things in as I think of them. Or you could just decide on districts and plop them down and fill them in whatever works for you really. One you have a basic idea of what you want then it's just down to refining the elements of your sketch until it reaches a level of detail you want to achieve. Work from the broad strokes down and you should be fine.

[Larb]

Yeah, Falconius has a good approach. If you have a rough idea of what main things need to be in your city, you can start super abstract and just use basic shapes and labels. Is X building in Y district? Is Y district north of Z district? Once you know how it's arranged, then you can get into the details of what it looks like.

[RenflowerGrapx]

Hello! i'm not very experienced in City Maps, but the few I made i found useful to follow this order:

1. Understand the Area which the city/town is located
2. Draw a basic pattern of the roads and connection
3. Set walls and Natural boundaries
4. Define Blocks/sectors
5. Fill with structures (also creating a design languages between the sectors. Structures size, style and density)
6. Add Bridges, Docks or squares/statues and minor ornaments
7. Define the surrounding area accordingly to the existing boundaries and buildings
8. Minor ornaments and color correction.



I don't know if it helps.
I also attach a timelapse, if it helps

[damonjynx]

Wrote stuff...

Very cool timelapse.

Also other great advice as well. Jonathon Roberts, Fantastic Maps has loads of great tutorials: How to Map a Town is what you're after. Basically his take on the above comments.