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Your friendly guide to all the buildings and icons in SimCity 2000. Learn about zoning, power, water, transport, and more to build the best city!

Hey there, future mayor! So, you're diving into SimCity 2000 and want to know what all those buttons do? Don't worry, I've got your back. This section is all about the tools you'll be using to shape your city, from the ground up. Think of it as your SimCity 2000 toolbox! ### Menu These are the main tools you'll access. They cover everything from terraforming to zoning and essential services. * Bulldozer: This is your go-to for making big changes. You can demolish buildings for $1 (watch out, it can also clear rubble and even level terrain, which might mess with nearby stuff like trees or power lines!). You can also level, raise, or lower terrain, and de-zone areas. * Landscape: Add some green with Trees for $3, or create pretty water features with Water for $100. If you're near slopes, those water features can even power a hydroelectric plant! * Dispatch (Emergencies Only): When things get crazy, you can dispatch Police, Firefighters, or Military units to help. * Power: You'll need Power Lines to get electricity from your Power Plants to your zones. Remember, power lines have a slight loss over long distances and can only cross roads and rails at right angles. * Water: Pipes ($3) move water and sewage. Water Pumps ($100) provide water, and they work better if placed near existing water. Water Towers ($250) help with seasonal water shortages, and Treatment Plants ($500) reduce pollution. If you're by the coast, a Desalinization plant ($1,000) can turn seawater into fresh water. * City Bonus: These are special buildings that unlock as your city grows. You can only build one of each (except for Arcologies). You'll get the Mayor's House at 2,000 population, City Hall at 10,000, then a Statue, and eventually the Braun Llama Dome. Arcologies are a special category you can build too. * Roads: The basic Road costs $10 and connects everything. Highways ($100) are faster but need Onramps ($25) to work. Tunnels ($150) let you go through mountains, and you can even build over them! Bus Depots ($250) offer a great way to move lots of people with less traffic. * Rail: Rail ($25) is a fast, traffic-free option. You'll need Rail Depots ($500) for people to use it. Subways ($100) are underground rails that need Sub Stations ($250). You can even connect them with Sub<-->Rail ($250) connectors. * Ports: Seaports ($150) help industries ship goods, and are needed around 10,000 population. Airports ($250) are for inter-city travel and become important around 15,000 population. * Zoning: This is how you tell the game what kind of buildings to put where. * Residential: Light Residential ($5) for houses, Dense Residential ($10) for apartments and condos. * Commercial: Light Commercial ($5) for shops and services, Dense Commercial ($10) for big business like banks. * Industrial: Light Industrial ($5) and Dense Industrial ($10). This is where your Sims work, but watch out for pollution, especially from dense industrial areas! * Education Zones: These boost your citizens' Education Quotient (EQ), which affects a lot of things. Schools ($250) cover ages 5-20, Colleges ($1,000) help with higher education (ages 15-25). Libraries ($500) help maintain EQ (build one for every 20,000 Sims), and Museums ($1,000) are twice as effective but cost more (build one for every 40,000 Sims). * Health and Safety Zones: Essential for a happy city. Police ($500) and Fire Stations ($500) help keep things safe. Hospitals ($500) improve citizen health. Prisons ($3,000) can help if crime is high. * Recreation Zones: These make your city more desirable. Small Parks ($20) and Big Parks ($150) boost land value. Zoos ($3,000) and Stadiums ($5,000) improve desirability and tourism. Marinas ($1,000) can only be built by the water. A quick note: Military zones aren't something you place directly; they appear after certain events. Keep this list handy as you build, and you'll be a SimCity 2000 pro in no time!