Cyberpunk Megacities
Cyberpunk megacities are claustrophobic monuments to greed, oppressive architecture, and rampant, capitalistic growth. These fictional cities are areas where corporate headquarters and massive skyscrapers tower over the landscape, cutting upwards from a maze of interconnected alleyways, transportation systems, and neon advertisements. While the rich live luxuriously in hover-yachts, fortress manors, or penthouse suites, the rest of humanity must make do in the slums trying to claw their way upwards. Cyberpunk megacities are home to corporate princes, sentient AI programs, hackers, and drug dealers.
| Synonyms: Near future metropolises, megapolises |
| Example Mythonyms: New Avalon, Neon City |
Designing Fictional Cyberpunk Megacities
Foundations
Overview
When creating a cyberpunk metropolis consider the following major elements:
- Name of the City
- Architecture & Layout
- Important Buildings & Locations
- Transportation Systems
- Power Systems
- Important Organizations
- Important People
Architecture & Layout
Like with ecumenopolises, the design of fictional megacities is a study in density across three dimensions. While a city may be divided into zones or districts (such as industrial zones, wealthy districts, trade districts, or slums), worldbuilders should also consider how such a place is divided within vertical space as well. Tall buildings may pierce the clouds and appear as islands in the mist. Below that, elaborate networks of skyway bridge systems may link together buildings at multiple levels. Elevated highways or railways may meander through the space below. The surface of the world may be held in a perpetual state of dim light for lack of penetrating sunlight. And then the underground: worldbuilders may want to consider a maze of underground tunnels, a secondary sub-city for poorer manual laborers and machines, or perhaps a series of sublevels connected to the surface by centralized vertical corridors.
Fictional corporations are featured prominently in cyberpunk worlds, so worldbuilders will want to consider where the headquarters and any industrial buildings are located.
There may be graffiti, giant industrial machinery, advertisements, and giant statues scattered around the city.
Buildings & Locations
Certain types of buildings are more common in cyberpunk cities. These may include black markets, asylums, prisons, banks, noodle shops, arcologies, refineries, and other locations.
Transportation
Transportation within an megapolis is an area ripe for exploration. There may be trains, gondolas, or subways systems linking different areas within the city-planet. Hoverlanes of flying vehicles may crisscross the surface. Also consider the infrastructure necessary for these systems. Trains require train tracks or rail routes while road vehicles may require expansive highway systems.
Consider how the government of a cyberpunk metropolis is organized. Often these worlds feature a corporatocracy or other form of oligarchy. There may be a shadow government and/or different factions may be vying for control.
Who are the policy-makers of this world?
The Skies Above
Cyberpunk megacities may feature additional elements present in their skies or in near orbit. While blimps, aerial platforms, and other floating structures or vehicles may be stationed above the cityscape, orbital rings, space elevators, Kessler belts, and other orbital elements may also be present and visible from the surface. These structures may be work camps for the less fortunate or luxury getaways for the absurdly wealthy.
