How to Build a City in Minecraft

Last Updated: October 12, 2021

Minecraft creations on the Creative Mode have always fascinated us. The internet is full of wonders created in this game, and even you would have tried creating one, thinking, "I'll make it big this time!". But somehow, you end up with a mud house. Here are some things to keep in mind while creating your own city in Minecraft.

Steps

1
Start by choosing the biome in which you want to build your city. In the latest update, you can choose a small number of seeds from a picture list. Usually people prefer the Superflat biome and the terrain, as the name suggests, is flat. However, some people prefer to build in other biomes (Forests, hills, etc...) to give the city a more natural look. Keep in mind that terrains except for Superflat may need moderate to heavy terraforming.
2
Terraform the terrain. Since houses of any city conventionally need to be built one a single level, or in other words, the base of the house needs to be flat, it is essential to terraform the terrain. Terraforming can be on a large scale (for the whole city/block) or on an individual, per-house scale. Apart from from making building convenient, terraforming also carries an aesthetic value if done properly. (Note: Terraforming can also cover up naturally spawned water bodies which may hinder the construction.)

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3
Plan your city. Plan out how you intend to go about it. Town planning is a tiresome yet exciting job. You could plan anything, from where to build what, to the size of the roads. The most convenient way to plan is building the roads first and then laying the foundations of houses. It gives you quite an idea about how the city will look when completed. What's more, you could add your own creativity (how about a subway system?).You are your own master!
4
Assemble a team. This is optional. This can speed up construction, but can slow you down since it may be hard to manage a building team. Cities such as Broville had a team to speed up construction.
5
Start your construction. After you know what exactly you have to build, bring it to life! A good city may even take months to build. After and during construction, make sure you regularly save your world in a backup storage device. You definitely don't want to lose it all accidentally! (Skydrive may also be convenient, as world saves are hardly a few Kbs in size.)
- In the latest update, you can export and copy your worlds to "save" it.
6
Add details! You do not want to have a dull, monotonous city. Add a few pictures and modifications in each building, and spawn Villagers with the help of spawn eggs. Make it alive!
7
Add character to your city. This is best done after detailing.
- For example, does your city center around flowers? Add flowers around the city.
8
Roam around your city with a sword once it is completed. A sword will not damage your structures. The last thing you want is accidentally breaking your own creations.

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Community Q&A

Question

What types of buildings should I build in my city?

Community Answer

Start with shops, hotels, and restaurants. Then add some residential and commercial buildings.
Question

How big should a city block be?

Community Answer

As big as you want! A city block should be unique in its own way. The only thing you should remember is to keep with your style.
Question

What would be a good size for the roads?

Reuben Ratliff

Community Answer

It depends on the use of the road. For footpaths, alleys, and trails use 3x-5x. For larger foot-traffic or some horse/pig traffic use 5x-9x. Avenues running traffic in 2 directions are always good, in the center you can add decorations, perhaps a small canal for gondolas for full submersion into your city. Avenues work great in larger cities, 5-7 blocks each way with a 5-9 median work the best. Remember 1 block is about 3 feet cubed, a general traffic lane IRL is approx. 9 wide or 3 blocks.
Question

How do I stop animals from trespassing in my city?

Community Answer

Dependent on what platform you’re playing on, you should be able to turn off Mobs.
Question

Does it matter where buildings are placed? For example, having a house surrounded by shops?

Community Answer

It doesn't really matter, except you will want to have more houses than shops, and do the house planning in neighborhoods, not just individual houses.
Question

What should I do if my city is too crowded?

Community Answer

If you have no more space and are happy with it then you might just have to enjoy what you've built. You could tear down older buildings and build something else, or change the layout of your city entirely. Expanding further, if you can, is another idea.
Question

How big should the buildings be?

Community Answer

It all depends on what kind of city you want. If you want a metropolitan style, the buildings should be pretty tall, around 17 stories or taller.
Question

What do I build first in a city?

Community Answer

You can start with anything, but if you want your friends to visit daily, start with important stuff. Somewhere they can sleep and buy items. Make sure you're mega impressed with your creation before you invite someone who is known to be picky.
Question

What material can skyscrapers be made from?

Community Answer

Iron or concrete usually look good for lighter, simple ones, or stone and/or colored concrete for the darker ones. Use lots of glass for windows.
Question

Is there any way to quickly clear trees/terrain if I choose to build in default mode?

Community Answer

Yes there is. You can use flint and steel to start fires or use the fire starters to remove the trees. However, make sure you put out any fire that made it to the ground. You can also use TNT to remove larger areas of terrain more quickly.

Warnings

If your city is just in the making, turn off multiplayer to prevent vandalism.

Thanks!
Helpful 44 Not Helpful 7
If you can, refrain from making tall, wooden buildings. Lightning is a real possibility.

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Helpful 50 Not Helpful 9
When you are in survival make sure you have it on peaceful to make sure that you don't get killed by any mobs.

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Helpful 107 Not Helpful 30