Cities: Skylines 2

Cities: Skylines 2 shares the idea of city policies with the first game. In the original, players could toggle policies on and off both for the city at large and for smaller areas the player creates. This allowed players to do things like ban heavy trucks from residential neighborhoods and encourage recycling across the map.

Cities: Skylines 2 has completely revamped the policy system. The game has a separate set of policies players can toggle for district areas and for the city at large, but the tutorials don't point out where to find them and how to put them to use.

How to Set City Policies

Cities Skylines 2 Policies City — The list of city policies in Cities: Skylines 2.

The list of citywide policies is in the City Information menu. To find it, click on the round button next to the zoning demand bars and then choose the "City Policies" tab. Turning on all five at once earns players the "Calling the Shots" achievement.

Policy	Milestone Unlocked	Effect
Advanced Pollution Management	Boom Town (6)	Industry produces less pollution but more garbage
City Promotion	Small City (10)	More tourists, but more crime around tourist destinations
High-Speed Highways	Small City (10)	Faster highway traffic, but more highway accidents
Pre-Release Programs	Tiny Town (5)
Taxi Minimum Fare	Grand Village (4)	Taxi rides earn the city more money and discourage citizens from using taxis

How to Set District Policies

Cities Skylines 2 Policies Neighborhood — The list of neighborhood district policies in Cities: Skylines 2.

To use the other set of policies, players must first create a district using the District Creation Tool. This tool unlocks after reaching milestone four, Grand Village, and its icon is the white rectangle next to the zoning tool. Players can create districts of any shape and size they like, but it's a good idea to keep residential districts separate from commercial, industrial, and office zones.

To set a district's policies, players must click on the district's name. This brings up a district menu that lists the overall stats of the district, and it includes several policy icons players can toggle. Click on the arrow next to the policy icons to bring up a detailed list and the ability to set the exact roadside parking fee.

Policy	Milestone Unlocked	Effect
Combustion Engine Ban	Small City (10)	Fuel-burning vehicles aren't allowed inside the district unless owned by a local business or resident, reducing noise and air pollution
Energy Consumption Awareness	Tiny Town (5)	Lowers energy consumption in district by 5 percent
Gated Community	Busy Town (7)	Only businesses and residents are allowed inside the district (not including city services), reducing crime and redirecting traffic
Heavy Traffic Ban	Boom Town (6)	Heavy vehicles must find routes around district, reducing noise pollution and road wear, and redirecting heavy traffic
Recycling	Tiny Town (5)	Decreases resource use but also decreases citizen free time
Roadside Parking Fee	Tiny Town (5)	Increases road income and encourages citizens to park in parking lots
Speed Bumps	Tiny Town (5)	Lowers vehicle speed in district, reducing noise pollution and accidents but increasing traffic jams

While some district policies are good for every area, the point of many of them is to keep heavy, noisy traffic away from residential neighborhoods. Doing so will keep residents happy, but players should make sure they have enough medium and large side roads that can take all the heavy traffic before implementing them.