It was the first time they realized that neighborhoods, towns and cities were things that were planned, and that it was someone’s job to decide where streets, schools, bus stops and stores were supposed to go. For many urban and transit planners, architects, government officials and activists, “SimCity” was their first taste of running a city. It was succeeded by “SimCity 2000” in 1993, “SimCity 3000” in 1999, “SimCity 4” in 2003, a version for the Nintendo DS in 2007, “SimCity: BuildIt” in 2013 and an app launched in 2014.Īlong the way, the games have introduced millions of players to the joys and frustrations of zoning, street grids and infrastructure funding - and influenced a generation of people who plan cities for a living. Thirty years ago, Maxis released “SimCity” for Mac and Amiga. He served as a council member in Campbell, Calif., from 2008 to 2016, a tenure that included two stints as mayor. Today, Baker is the vice president of transportation and housing at the nonprofit Silicon Valley Leadership Group.

Sim city 4 region editor