Meghan Hodges
Cities Skylines is a city-building game that involves managing pollution levels. While it is impossible to completely avoid pollution, players can implement strategies to minimize its impact and keep their citizens happy and healthy. Industrial pollution, a significant concern, can be mitigated by carefully placing industrial zones away from residential areas and water sources. Additionally, players can upgrade industrial buildings, switch to less polluting industries, and adopt policies for cleaner energy sources and improved waste management. Ground pollution, a challenging issue, can be addressed by removing polluting buildings, opting for renewable energy services, and strategically placing sewage infrastructure downstream. Air pollution, stemming from industry and traffic, can be reduced by creating robust public transportation systems and monitoring wind direction. Noise pollution, while less harmful, requires careful zoning and the use of sound barriers to minimize its impact on residential areas.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Air pollution sources | Industry, traffic, garbage management, and specific power plants |
| Air pollution reduction | Create robust public transport, separate industrial and residential areas, monitor wind direction |
| Water pollution sources | Ground pollution entering water sources, sewage |
| Water pollution reduction | Place water utilities upstream from sewage pipes, careful placement |
| Noise pollution sources | Industry, commercial zoning, traffic |
| Noise pollution reduction | Road decorations, highway sound barriers, narrow roads, avoid central routes, use offices as buffer zones |
| Ground pollution sources | Industry, power plants, garbage management facilities |
| Ground pollution reduction | Cleaner and renewable energy services, time, sewage upgrades, water treatment plants |
| General tips | Avoid industrial zones, use DLC buildings or mods, implement policies, careful building placement, plant trees |
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What You'll Learn
Keep industrial zones away from residential areas
In Cities: Skylines, players must manage pollution levels caused by industry and traffic. While it is impossible to completely avoid pollution without using DLC buildings or special mods, implementing the right policies and making thoughtful building choices can minimize pollution and keep citizens happy and healthy.
One of the most important strategies for reducing pollution in the game is to keep industrial zones away from residential zones. Air pollution from industry can affect residential areas downwind, so players should monitor wind direction and ensure industrial areas are not upwind of residential neighbourhoods. Additionally, noise pollution from industry can negatively impact the well-being of citizens. While low-density commercial zones create a small amount of noise pollution, high-density commercial and industrial zones generate significantly more. Thus, it is advisable to maintain a distance between industrial and residential areas.
Players can also utilize buffer zones between industrial and residential areas to further reduce the impact of pollution. Commercial areas, such as stores, do not complain about pollution and can act as effective buffers. Additionally, offices can be placed closer to residential zones as they provide pollution-free jobs and help to mitigate noise pollution. Implementing highways or large roads with sound barriers can also help to separate zones and reduce noise pollution.
When creating districts and assigning specialized industries, players can opt for industries that produce less pollution, such as farming and forestry. Upgrading regular industrial buildings can also reduce pollution, as upgraded versions tend to be less polluting than level one versions. Additionally, players can employ strategies such as highly educating the population and increasing land values in industrial zones to encourage the development of non-polluting high-tech industries.
By carefully managing zoning and building placement, players can minimize the negative effects of industrial pollution on their cities in Cities: Skylines.
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Manage air pollution by monitoring wind direction
Managing air pollution in Cities: Skylines involves careful monitoring of wind direction and implementing strategies to minimise its impact on residential areas. Here are some detailed instructions to tackle air pollution by monitoring wind direction:
Firstly, it is imperative to understand that air pollution spreads with the wind. Therefore, keeping industrial zones away from residential areas is crucial. By monitoring the wind direction, players can strategically place industrial zones downwind from residential zones, ensuring that air pollution blows away from where citizens live. This proactive approach can significantly reduce the negative consequences of air pollution on the health and happiness of the citizens in your city.
To check wind direction in Cities: Skylines 2, players can utilise the in-game features. By clicking on the "i" symbol on the top left corner and selecting “Air Pollution" from the menu, players can access the Air Pollution Info View. This view provides visual cues, such as small arrows, indicating the direction of the wind and potential pollutant spread. Utilising this information allows players to make informed decisions about zoning and building placement to mitigate air pollution's impact.
Additionally, players can take advantage of renewable energy sources to reduce air pollution. Wind turbines, solar power plants, and nuclear power plants offer minimal air pollution and are environmentally friendly alternatives to coal power plants. However, these options tend to be more expensive, so players should consider their budget before implementing them.
Another strategy to manage air pollution is to focus on traffic management. Air pollution is not only caused by industry but also by traffic congestion. By creating a robust public transport system, players can reduce overall traffic and minimise air pollution. Implementing district policies such as combustion engine bans, heavy traffic bans, and introducing electric buses can also contribute to reducing air pollution from traffic.
Lastly, players can also consider the type of industries they zone. Farming and forestry industries produce less pollution than other industrial specialisations. Upgrading industrial buildings can also help, as upgraded versions tend to be less polluting.
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Minimise water pollution by placing water utilities upstream
To minimise water pollution in Cities: Skylines, it is crucial to carefully manage the placement of water utilities and sewage outputs relative to the direction of water flow. Here are some strategies to achieve this:
Firstly, always place water utilities upstream from sewage pipes and outflows. This careful placement will ensure that any sewage or polluted water is carried away from your water source, reducing the risk of water pollution. It is also important to keep water pumps and sewage plants separate and strategically located. Try to place sewage outputs downstream from the city's water pumping stations and away from water providers to prevent the spread of water pollution.
Additionally, when dealing with underground water sources, be mindful of ground pollution. Utilise landscaping tools to create slopes or holes that direct sewage and polluted water off the map. If your map has an outflow off the map, this can be an effective way to minimise water pollution. Similarly, if your map's water supply is naturally low, consider dumping sewage on land, but be aware that ground pollution will still occur.
Another strategy is to upgrade your water pumping stations and sewage treatment plants. The Advanced Water Pumping Station offers a substantial surface water output, while the Wastewater Treatment Plant can be enhanced with the Advanced Filtering System to increase purification and transform more sewage into fresh water. These upgrades can help reduce water pollution and ensure a cleaner water supply for your city.
Finally, consider the placement of industrial zones and avoid building them near water sources. By keeping industrial areas away from water, you can reduce the risk of water pollution from industrial waste and runoff. Remember that farming and forestry zones produce less pollution than other industrial specialisations, so consider switching your industrial areas to these specialties if possible.
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Reduce noise pollution with road decorations and sound barriers
In Cities: Skylines, noise pollution is a common issue that arises from industrial and commercial zoning, traffic, and tourist attractions. While it doesn't have as harmful an effect on your city as regular pollution, noise pollution can still harm residential neighbourhoods if left unchecked.
To reduce noise pollution, it is recommended to use road decorations and highway sound barriers. Sound barriers on highways can help mitigate the noise generated from traffic. Trees placed alongside roads and highways can also help reduce noise pollution, though their effectiveness is debated by players. Some players suggest that only roads with decorative trees, available in the "decorations" tab, seem to have an impact on noise reduction.
In addition to sound barriers and road decorations, proper zoning is crucial to managing noise pollution. Keep heavily trafficked areas, industrial zones, and commercial businesses well away from residential areas. Office zones, for example, can serve as a buffer between industrial districts and residential zones, as they generate less noise pollution. It is also recommended to stick to narrow roads in neighbourhoods and avoid building residential zones along central routes.
Another strategy is to implement policies that reduce traffic, such as speed bumps and rerouting heavily trafficked roads underground. These measures will help to lower noise pollution levels and keep your citizens happy and healthy.
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Switch industrial areas to farming and forestry
To switch industrial areas to farming and forestry in Cities: Skylines, players can follow these steps and considerations:
Firstly, understand the benefits and limitations of specialized districts. Specialized districts are an effective way to mitigate pollution and leverage natural resources. However, it is important to note that specialized districts may face challenges in attracting educated workers, as the available jobs in farming and forestry industries are mostly at low education levels.
To begin the process, players need to reach a population of 850, which unlocks the district tool and the ability to create specialized industrial zones. Players can then utilize the district creation tool to identify areas for their farming and forestry districts. The Info View option, specifically the "Natural Resources" feature, will help identify the appropriate resources for each district. Black represents oil, blue is ore, green is forest, and yellow is fertile land.
When creating a farming district, players should be aware that crops can be produced locally or imported at a cost. Local production of crops can provide an opportunity to export and generate revenue, or they can be used to supply commercial zones with "Organic and Local Produce". Similarly, forestry districts can produce raw forest products, which can be exported or imported. Forestry is a renewable resource that does not cause ground pollution, but it can be noisy due to sawmills and machinery.
To maximize the potential of these districts, players can increase the budget for industry areas, which boosts efficiency by up to 25% but also increases upkeep costs. Additionally, the "Advanced Automation" policy in the industrial tab can further enhance efficiency.
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Frequently asked questions
Air pollution is caused by industry, traffic, garbage management, and specific power plants. To reduce air pollution, carefully manage the placement of these facilities, keeping them away from residential areas. Monitor the wind direction, as air pollution travels on the wind. You can also reduce traffic by creating a robust public transport system.
Water pollution occurs when ground pollution enters water sources and from sewage. To reduce water pollution, ensure your water pumping stations are upstream from sewage pipes and outflow. Always place sewage downstream, preferably close to your border. Disperse your sewage pipes and add sufficient water treatment. Water conservation policies can also help.
Ground pollution is generated mostly by industry, power plants, and garbage management facilities. To reduce ground pollution, opt for cleaner and renewable energy services and facilities, such as nuclear power plants, wind turbines, solar power plants, and wastewater treatment plants. You can also remove the sources of ground pollution, such as incinerators and landfills.
Noise pollution comes from industry, commercial zoning, and traffic. To reduce noise pollution, use road decorations and highway sound barriers. Stick to narrow roads in neighbourhoods and avoid building residential zones along central routes. Use offices as a buffer zone between residential and industrial areas.
