A new Cities: Skylines 2 dev diary has been released, shedding light on how the zoning tools and features will work. The trailer also talks about the new Signature Buildings feature, which should give the city an even more iconic and unique look.
As in Cities: Skylines, you will have access to residential, industrial and commercial areas, as well as offices. You can either drag a rectangular area to zone it, or zoom in and zone the area cell by cell. The appearance of the zones depends on the type of the selected map: North American or European, but you can also combine them.
Starting with residential development zoning, there are currently six types of zones. Low-density and high-density housing has returned from Cities: Skylines, but you now also have access to mid-density high-rise buildings, mid-density apartment buildings, low-rent housing, and mixed housing where residents can live above shops.
Commercial areas, as you would expect, are a place for shopping as well as leisure activities such as dancing, watching movies, etc. Industrial areas house warehouses and other buildings that support distribution networks, while office areas house offices (in both low-density and high-density versions).
Finally, the trailer gives us a glimpse of the signature buildings that are unique to each zone. You will unlock them as your city grows, and they bring unique benefits to your city. They can also be built for free, but it’s still important to build them in good locations so that the surrounding areas can take advantage of their bonuses.
