CDS RA New Sim Commission Report

October, 2014

This commission was convened at the behest of the 21st RA.

Members, including special advisors, for final report:  Rosie Gray (RA member and chair), Leslie Allandale - citizen, Patroklus Murakami - citizen, Arria Perreault -SC member), Gaius Tiberius Curio - citizen, Gwyneth Llewelyn - RA member, Widget Whiteberry - citizen

1. Type of region (full region, homestead, void)

• recommendation:  Put aside funds to purchase 2 full regions, searching for best deals on used regions. Each region to be purchased when plans are ready to begin construction.

2. Placement of region

• recommendation: 1 region to be placed west of NFS first, and the other to be placed east of NFS.  NFS East to be placed when the RA approves the purchase in 2015.

3. Region theme

• recommendation:  NFS W will be a rural, Alpine Medieval themed sim set in modern times.  NFS E be an identical theme as NFS, with an allowance for modern architecture in the rural section of it.

Supported by Citizen Survey and in world discussions open to all citizens:

• findings:  see full survey results here.  50 individual people responded to the  survey.

survey results showed of respondents 16% agree and 30% strongly agree with wanting Bavarian e.g. Neufreistadt as a theme.  The second highest rated was Alpine e.g. Alpine Meadow and Monastery with 34% agreeing and 18.18% strongly agreeing.   83% want residential parcels, 69% want parkland/forest/nature reserve, 56% want gathering spots, 42% want beaches/water, 33% want conference/teaching spaces, 27% want ‘other’ (see full survey for comments), 25% want commercial parcels.

• findings from citizen input meetings (Leslie Allandale analysis):

The results of the public meetings are hard to quantify, as specific responses to even specific questions would shift into new ground. In addition, topics discussed in older meetings would be on the agenda for newer ones, but, obviously, not vice versa, so the support of topics brought up early would be skewed in the chart.  However, I pulled out 28 common topics and pasted the results into the accompanying chart. There may have been more, however I was concerned with trends, and these seemed the most germane.  In my opinion a careful scan of the chart shows several trends, which may, or may not, significantly parallel universal feelings.  However we may assume that it indicates the position of concerned citizens.

I. Sims:

1. 64% of the attendees supported the placement of a new sim in the empty position west of NFS.
2. 41% voiced approved of Timo’s plan.  However, though a design contest was discussed (14% approving) no competing plans for this site were offered.
3. Only 23% approved of a water sim, with one disapproving, however 59% of the attendees supported a land/water region (some with qualifications).
4. Other Grids: There was only qualified support for establishing a region on a foreign grid, however 18% would support a measured move, with one person dissenting.

II Usage: 

1. There was little to no discussion of personal commitment to using the land.
2. However, most were interested in the features to be provided, especially as a core attraction (14%)  with many different ideas presented:  Library – 9%; School-32%; Airport-18%: Meeting space-23%; Ski lodge-18%; Water feature-9%, Riding trail-5%.

III. Theme:

Followed no consistent pattern, Alpine-18%, American woodland-9%, Rural-5%, Venetian-18%,

IV. Other:

1. A few asked for planning carefully (9%) while one wanted a full head of steam.
2. A response, to adding increased tier across the existing regions to support a new one, covered the spectrum: 9%-no, 18%-maybe, 18%-yes.

One more caveat: A blank space does not mean that an attendee had no opinion, only that they did not respond, for any number of reasons, to that particular topic in one of our meetings.

4. Procedures for the new region creative process i.e. building, terraforming, gardening etc.

• recommendation: call for design proposals on NFS east and west, with instructions to focus on the comments submitted to the new-sim commission through its survey and during its meetings. Bidders to demonstrate the ways in which their design responds to public comments as well as Commission instruction.
• recommendation: request the newly established CDS Land-Use Commission  to manage the creation of the new sims, as per their mandate.

5. Consider finances, balance of public and private prims and any specific public spaces appropriate to the theme.

• Recommendation: Adopt Trebor's general format and analysis as the primary guide in determining the finances of these new regions. Allow for flexibility regarding assumptions about variables and in consideration of public space vis allocation of resources.

See: http://forums.slcds.info/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=5259

6. Legislative Recommendation:  

We recommend the RA either revise NL 8-2 to bring it up to date or devise a new process, whichever will produce the most satisfactory process and outcome.