Summary of "On Worldbuilding: WHY are cities where they are?"

Summary of On Worldbuilding: WHY are cities where they are?

This video explores the various historical, economic, political, religious, social, and technological factors that determine why cities and settlements arise where they do. Using a fictional character, Graeme the wizard who likes cats, the video takes viewers on a journey through five distinct eras to understand city placement and growth, offering practical worldbuilding advice for writers, game designers, and creators.

Main Ideas and Lessons by Era

1. The Ancient Era

Primary driver: Agriculture and access to fertile land and fresh water (rivers, floodplains).
Early cities emerged where food production could support large populations.
Systemic organization of labor: division into laboring and managerial classes requires larger populations and workable land.
Irrigation projects (e.g., Nile, Mesopotamia) were crucial for city growth.
Religious and ceremonial sites attracted settlements (e.g., Kyoto around Shinigamo shrine).
Political centralization often overlapped with religious centers.
Worldbuilding tip: Identify fertile land, fresh water, and religious or symbolic sites to place ancient cities.
Consider species-specific needs if not human (biology, fears, sustenance).
Cities evolve over time; initial reasons for founding may shift.

2. The Pre-Industrial Era

Continued importance of agriculture and religion.
New factor: Trade becomes crucial; cities grow near rivers, oceans, and lakes to facilitate shipping.
Trade routes (e.g., Silk Road) foster towns along paths between major cities.
Towns develop at natural trade choke points, fall lines (where rivers have waterfalls/rapids), and defensible locations.
Emergence of city-states: independent, defensible, trade-oriented cities often isolated from larger empires (e.g., Venice, Greek city-states).
Specialization of labor increases demand for resources beyond food (metals, gems, textiles), spawning resource towns.
Political centralization grows with states and empires; capitals placed for strategic governance.
Worldbuilding tip: Consider alternative transport or communication modes (magic, telepathy) that might alter city placement.
Encourage creativity with unique cultural or environmental factors influencing settlement.

3. The Industrial Era

Rapid change in city growth and placement due to industrialization.
Boom towns emerge quickly around resource discoveries (coal, gold, fuel).
Development of transportation hubs (railway towns, airship ports, space stations) centralizes populations.
Massive rural-to-urban population shifts driven by industrial capacity.
Political and economic power shifts toward industrial centers.
Worldbuilding tip: Identify industrial resources and technologies that could drive city growth or decline; consider ghost towns from resource depletion.

4. The Post-Industrial Era

Shift from industrial to service/finance economies.
Rise of suburbs as commuting becomes possible.
Cities thrive based on finance, technology, legal systems, and infrastructure rather than manufacturing.
Increased government power and bureaucracy; planned cities emerge for ideological, economic, or social reasons.
Worldbuilding tip: Think about how modern factors like finance and tech infrastructure affect city growth and layout.

5. The Future Era

Highly speculative; cities may become virtual or detached from geography (e.g., virtual cities like the Big Market in Valerian).
Resources remain critical (e.g., spice in Dune), even with advanced technology.
Basic survival needs (water, food) still dictate city placement on some level.
Worldbuilding tip: Consider how future tech, resources, and social structures could redefine what a city is and where it exists.

Overarching Concepts

Cities evolve: They rise, fall, and adapt to changing economic, social, political, and environmental demands.
Momentum matters: Established cities with infrastructure and populations often outcompete new locations even if the latter are geographically better.
Interconnected factors: Geography, resources, transportation, defense, religion, politics, and economy all interplay to determine city placement.
Species and world-specific needs: Non-human or fantastical species may have very different drivers for settlement.
Trade routes and specialization: Trade networks create hubs and secondary towns; specialization demands diverse resources and crafts.
Defensibility and isolation: Especially for city-states, geographic isolation and defensibility are key to survival.

Methodology / Instructions for Worldbuilders

Identify primal needs: Where is fertile land? Where is fresh water? What resources are available?
Consider labor organization: Does the society have a managerial class? What scale of population is needed?
Map trade routes: Place cities along rivers, coasts, or other transport corridors.
Incorporate religion and politics: Place capitals or major cities around religious sites or politically strategic locations.
Factor in technology: How do transportation and communication technologies affect city placement?
Account for defense: Are cities in defensible locations? Are there natural barriers or fortifications?
Track evolution: Consider how cities change over time and whether new cities replace old ones or existing ones adapt.
Include unique world features: Magic, alien biology, or unusual resources can radically alter settlement patterns.
Use fall lines and natural chokepoints: These often create hubs for trade and power generation.
Think about specialization: Resource towns arise to support specialized trades or luxury goods.
Plan for industrial and post-industrial shifts: Identify how industrial resources or finance sectors influence urban growth.
Explore future possibilities: Virtual cities, space habitats, or other futuristic concepts.

Additional Notes

The video includes a review and recommendation for Campfire Blaze, a worldbuilding and writing software:

Browser-based with a free version.
Features include timelines, character profiles, species and culture pages, and map pinning.
Subscription pricing is modular based on features used.
Compared to Campfire Pro, Blaze is better for writers and tabletop RPG players; Pro is better for deep worldbuilders.
Encourages creators to try the free version to see what fits their needs.

Speakers / Sources Featured

Primary speaker / narrator: Unnamed YouTuber (video creator)
Referenced authors and works:
- George R.R. Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire)
- J.R.R. Tolkien (Middle-earth)
- Brandon Sanderson (Stormlight Archive)
- Orson Scott Card (Speaker for the Dead)
- Adrian Tchaikovsky (Children of Time)
- Frank Herbert (Dune)
Fictional examples:
- Graeme the wizard who likes cats (fictional character used for illustration)
- City-states like Venice, Greek city-states, Hanseatic League
- Fictional cities such as Cabranth (Stormlight Archive), Arakeen (Dune), Oldtown (Westeros)
- Virtual city from Valerian (Big Market)
Software:
- Campfire Blaze and Campfire Pro (worldbuilding software)

This comprehensive overview provides a structured approach to understanding and designing city placement in fictional worlds based on historical and speculative factors.