Starting out, my first city (City Designer 3)

[Gandwarf]

Well, I just thought the first line of defense and control for the bridge would be the walls and towers near the river. I was planning to add some smaller buildings there too, to help with that task.

I wanted the castle in a retreat place, in a more luxurious area, away from the markets and traffic from the bridge. I have no idea if that is how a small town would work.

As I said, it's your town, so the layout should be as you want.

Towns do not suddenly spring into existance however. I could imagine the castle was there first, near the bridge (or maybe there wasn't even a bridge back then and there was just a ferry or a place to cross where the water was shallow). Then a town grew around it and the castle expanded a bit. By then the castle would not be moved again, so it would remain near the river.

Or maybe your castle is built on top of a small hill, so it overlooks the river and surrounding lands. That would explain why it is located where it is now.

Again, it's your town... I am just brainstorming a bit

[Mixpengo]

Or maybe your castle is build on top of a small hill, so it overlooks the river and surrounding lands. That would explain why it is located where it is now.

I was thinking at what you said and I got to the same conclusion - an elevation in the land is the only good reason for which it would be there, a small hill or something.