First Attempt at Steampunk City Mapping (WIP)

[bagobats]

Thanks to some wonderful users, I've been become re-invigorated in my map-making ventures. I could definitely use some help on this journey though, seeing as how I am a first time map-maker.

Here is what I have so far of the steampunk city of Osya, the capital of Granthius located in the center of its continent, flanked by mountains.

I'm taking TheHoarseWhisperer's advice and starting with landmarks. Those placed so far are the palace (northernmost building) and the multi-faceted transportation station (there in the center). The station is originally surrounded by fancy shops and restaurants, as seen in this first draft, but I realized the aeroplanes need a landing strip which ruined the lovely circular layout.

While the northern half of Osya is mostly nobles and the wealthy, the southern half of the continent has more factors and middle- to lower-class workers. (Which makes me think, should I flip the Station so that its entrance is facing the north?)

Any ideas of other landmarks I can add...? Any other advice is welcome.

[Wingshaw]

Hey bagobats.

There are many possible landmarks you could add. It depends a bit on the cultural background of the city.

Some examples of landmarks you might want to consider including:
--marketplace (bazaar, if Middle Eastern influenced)
--temple/cathedral/church/mosque
--royal stables (for the monarch's horses/camels/steeds as well, possibly, for the mounted guards of the monarch)
--bath-houses (especially if Middle Eastern influenced)
--monastic establishments
--universities/schools/religious schools
--parliament (even if the city is dictatorial, there could be a puppet parliament sitting, or which advises the dictator)
--theatre/opera house/cinema/arena etc.
--government buildings (departments of treasury, justice, war, empire, infrastructure, health, religion, education, environment etc.)
------if your transportation station is a major landmark, then it is likely that the infrastructure/transport/technology/trade departments would be quite large and important
--statues/fountains/monuments to historic figures (is there a general that achieved remarkable victories? are there monarchs who immortalise themselves in marble statues on the main streets?)
------these would likely be situated in plazas and public squares, outside palaces and public buildings
--libraries/archives
--banks
--transport infrastructure (you have some, but there might be more...)
--parks/gardens/museums
------a steampunk setting may have begun taking an interest in biology and botany, so botanic gardens and zoological gardens might be founded.
------similarly, the Victorian era in Britain saw the establishment of museums of natural history
--there's probably more, but that's all I can think of right now. Check out some historic city maps and look at what landmarks are on them.
--also, there's no need to have a single one of any of the above;
------it is unlikely that a large city would have only one marketplace
------it is unlikely that a king would have only one palace
------it is unlkely that a large community would have only one place of worship, etc.

Thinking about what kind of city this is going to be is a good way to work out what landmarks to include. It is a capital, so it'll have government institutions. Do most people work in industry? Commerce? How many poor people are there for every wealthy person (approximately)? Is land readily available, or scarce (this can help you determine how densely packed the city is likely to be)?

Oh, and lastly, it's usually a good idea to post your WIP images on the forum itself. When you are submitting a post or starting a new thread, you can look for a button that says "Manage Attachments". That'll open a window where you can upload your pictures straight to the Cartographers' Guild.

Hope that's helpful, and good luck. I'm looking forward to seeing the next update.

THW

[jambalayafore]

. . . Any ideas of other landmarks I can add...?

Geysers and hot mineral springs in the city square maybe. Like at Iceland