What are the essential structures of a city?

Im trying to model an interactive virtual city/town/community


populated by virtual people with simplified behaviors. Right now Im just concentrating on the essential structure/parts of a typical city so I can make a simplified,general template as a guide for building this environment.


To start, I listed some building block structures that center around human needs like food/energy, water, shelter...etc.


for example: structures related to...


food(grocery store, restaurant)


energy(electrical power plant)


water(water filtration plant)


waste management(sewer, waste processing plant)


shelter(residential house, hotel, apartment, office building)


transportation(pathway/ro... bridge, highway, vehicle factory, gas station, train station, airport)


health(hospital, dental office)


order/government(city hall, police station, fire station)


entertainment(movie theater, shopping mall, sports stadium, park)


learning(school, university, library, museum)


This list is still growing. I dont need to model complicated, realistic buildings. Simple, basic, primitive blocks/cartoon representations of the real things would suffice. Think lego city.





Any kind of info,idea,link,reference you want to share is welcome and appreciated. Thanks for helping.

What are the essential structures of a city?
I think that the most important structures are the infra-structures like the bridges, miitary structures, etc ...

slippers