Urban planners who have a good idea on what it takes to build great communities are faced with this reality every day and would be able to appreciate the premise of this game. While players can still build beautiful, sprawling cities, Urban Empire makes them beholden to the people through elected officials holding the purse strings. Urban Empire provides a new take on an established and difficult to enter genre. It also allows for historic building protection and has game elements for sustainability and smart growth, among others. The game allows for mixed-use zoning which sets it apart from other city-builders. A periodic newspaper tells you of changes in the composition of Council (elections) and follow major votes. The technology tree is ripe with unlockables that keep the game feeling fresh. This feels more like a vote in Parliament or House of Representatives than what would be typical of western local government structure (ref. Starting in the third era, you have to fight for re-election by the City Council. Instead you come from a dynasty of rulers that change with eras. The general feel of Urban Empire is that you are running a City State with a Congress who just happen to be called City Council. Tropico is an island-builder where you rule an island nation as a dictator. The game was developed by Kalypso who worked on the later Tropico titles. Where Urban Empire could have used some tweaking is on its scale. There are also tax increases/decreases, service rate increases/decreases, many laws and edicts that you or other Councillors can propose and vote on. That's a taste of authenticity that while may not make for enjoyable gaming, does represent city operations and growth considerations. In Urban Empire.you propose it to Council. For instance, you can change the zoning composition (percentage for residential, mixed-use, commercial, and industrial) as your sole modification. You don't always have to change each of these elements. Any of these changes come with a cost and are packaged into a single proposal to City Council as a modification to the district. In Urban Empire, you are able to change the zoning composition of any district of the city, improve the infrastructure, and add services (schools, police, fire, etc.). Although you play as a Mayor in Urban Empire rather than a planner, planners would be able to appreciate the authenticity of the process.
As public sector planners or private sector who consult with cities, we are keenly aware of local government the politics, limitations, and its purpose.
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