Guide
Why isn't my city growing?
A stuck lot doesn't flash or complain: it simply stays as it is. Here is every reason that can happen, and how to clear it.
How lots grow
A zoned lot in Blockline develops one level at a time, from zoned land through construction, established and growing to high density. At each check it must pass every test below. Fail any one and it stays where it is until the next check; nothing on the map warns you that this has happened.
The quickest way to find out what is wrong is the Problems app on the Mayor's Computer. It counts how many lots each reason is holding back and highlights the main one. The rest of this guide explains what each reason means and how to fix it.
The checks
- No power. Join the lot to a powered grid: a street that carries a generator's mains, or a power line to an isolated plant. If the grid exists but is short, it needs another generator, not more lines.
- No road. Every lot needs a street within reach. Lots deep in a block, or across a river, often fail this one; add a short road spur.
- Road not linked. The lot has a street, but that street doesn't link back to the town hall's network. Look for a missing tile or a river crossing without a bridge.
- Low demand. Nobody wants more of this zone yet. Demand comes from the balance of homes, jobs and shops, from taxes on that zone and from how long commutes are. Zone something else, lower that zone's tax, or wait for the city to catch up.
- City unhappy. The city as a whole isn't happy enough for taller buildings. Parks, services, jobs near homes, short commutes and moderate residential tax all help; see the table below for the level each step needs.
- Utilities short. Water, sewage or internet coverage is too low. Lots wait while power or water coverage is under 80%, with internet counting for part of it.
- No materials. The city has run out of construction materials. Zone more industry lots, or buy materials on the Trade Center.
- Undesirable area. Land value around the lot is too low. Smoke, noise, crime and dereliction drag it down; parks, schools and police lift it.
- Needs skills. Industrial lots can only modernise into clean manufacturing with skilled workers from homes near schools, and into high-tech with a university as well.
The first three are about the street and the grid, and they are usually the cause when a brand-new block never starts. The others tend to appear later, once a city is large enough for happiness, land value and skills to matter.
What each level needs
Two of the checks change as a lot climbs. Taller buildings wait for higher citywide happiness and better local desirability (land value, on the 0 to 9 scale the desirability overlay shows). The table also shows how many homes or shop jobs a single-use lot holds once it reaches each level.
| From | To | City happiness | Local desirability | Homes per lot | Shop jobs per lot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoned land | Construction | 45+ | 2+ of 9 | 12 | 6 |
| Construction | Established | 45+ | 2+ of 9 | 44 | 20 |
| Established | Growing | 55+ | 3+ of 9 | 90 | 42 |
| Growing | High density | 62+ | 4+ of 9 | 160 | 75 |
Mixed-use lots hold 70% of the homes and 65% of the jobs of single-use lots at the same level, in exchange for doing both at once. Industrial lots follow their own ladder of levels, covered in industry and upgrades.
Zoning density caps height
Even a lot that passes every check can only grow as tall as its zoning allows. A guided city starts at low density; completing the charter More than houses permits medium density, and A skyline of our own permits high. If many lots are “as tall as their zoning allows”, the next charter is the way forward, not more services.
When lots go backwards
Growth isn't one-way. If a lot's desirability sinks to 1 or below, it loses a level at its fortnightly check, and a lot that declines all the way is abandoned. The desirability guide covers what drags land value down and how abandoned lots recover.
Common patterns
A new block never starts
Almost always power, a missing street link, or a street that doesn't reach the town hall. Open the underground view to check the grid, and follow the street back to the hall.
Homes stop at the second or third level
Usually happiness. Citywide happiness below 45 is flagged as a problem in its own right, and the higher levels need more than that. Look at commute times, jobs near homes, parks and residential tax. Local desirability is the other usual suspect, especially near industry.
Industry won't modernise
Check the density cap first, then skills: clean manufacturing needs spare skilled workers from homes near a school, library or university.
Everything stalls at once
Look at materials and at the treasury. A city that has run out of construction materials can't grow, and a city in debt can't build. See farms and trade and money.
Tip. Fix the reason with the most lots first. One power line can unblock a whole district; a new park helps a handful of lots.