Established in year 1
Vital statistics: Cimenarum is about 6 miles in diameter, and houses between 30,000 and 45,000 people annually. The primary industry of the city is the governing of Galantier. Most legal and financial matters are arbitrated here. The city exists as the support system for the rest of the nation. All of Galantier is geologically active, which contributes to their preservation and continued use of the circular building pattern.
Development history: Early construction has almost all been redeveloped due to decay, fire and technological obsolescence. Cimenarum’s location was chosen based on its proximity to a natural lake on the Crook watershed, which has become the Docks and Shipyards, and multiple hot springs as defensible sources of clean water. The Karsai is the third oldest structure, built as a collective refuge in the 2nd century. The Prava replaced older housing in the 7th century. The Judicatura is a century old.
The circle plan is a remnant of the old Porsirian development plan, which emphasized the defensibility of a community against outside threats. Most circles had, at one time, gates at the access points, but most gates have been removed. Older circles have open wells or fountains in the center, while newer circles have closed wells and pumping houses to fill rooftop cisterns. Running, private water is becoming standard in newer Cimenarum development. Cimenarum is near development capacity, and in the past two centuries, new construction tends towards long, narrow buildings instead of defensible circles. However, nearly every building remains 3-5 stories tall on a full cellar foundation.
Most parts of Cimenarum, except for the Karsai, the Prava and the Judicatura, have some provision for gas lighting produced by organic waste. These digesters are still somewhat primitive and depend on both a high density of human waste and a community acceptance of possible explosions and outages. The Karsai section relies on fuel oil lighting specifically because the explosive danger is lower.
All of the land in the bounds of the Cimenarum langreve is the property of the Monarch of Galantier, as the Monarch’s primary langreve. However, since 873, the Monarch has not been an active landlord. All property can be bought and sold on a land-lease system. Leases are fully transferrable and responsibility for improvement and maintenance are the sole responsibility of the lease-holder. Leases typically run 100 years. The Monarch receives a lump payment for the original lease, and the government of Galantier receives a percentage of any sale price. This has the effect of allowing a reversion of property to the Crown should a lease-holder die without heirs or should a property be too decrepit to be refurbished, but allows for the private holding of property. Further, all property can be rented on daily, monthly, annual or longer arrangements.
Curia Park is a 9th century redevelopment, designed and planned as primarily housing. The Temple District is primarily mixed use development, mostly owned and operated by the Pantheon sects. The Temple District also holds most of Cimenarum’s schools and the majority of the teaching hospitals. Government District was reclaimed from a suburban slum in the 6th century.
The outer walls were planned with the early development, but were built in sections over the first six centuries. The walls nearest the Crook have been rebuilt twice, due to flooding and are now brick instead of the original stone. The eastern stone walls have been extensively patched, but have not been replaced.
The Theater District began as a suburb within the planned, but not yet built walls. It remains mixed use development with little heavy industry. Individual sections of the circles are under private ownership via 100 year leaseholds.
The Manufactury began as a suburb within the planned walls intended for noxious industry. It remains a heavily mixed use development. Its citizens are the poorest, and the district is the most densely populated. Most residences in the district are 1-3 rooms on the upper floors of the buildings, while the lower floors are generally manufacturing. The Manufactury is also home to the Renaran Hospital, which specializes in burns and trauma.
The Paper district is the second most densely populated sector, but more affluent. Most of Galantier’s paper manufacture, printing, book-binding and popular press is centered in the district. Most residences are 3-5 rooms on the uppper levels of mixed use buildings. Due to the risk of fire, within the confines of the district, no open flames are permitted except in vapor lighting or oil stove heating. The district established fire protection protocols that are now used throughout Galantier.
The Financial district is the second wealthiest district, after Curia Park. Galantier’s banking system is fairly advanced, with futures contracts, credit, currency exchange, taxation and cooperative ventures. Most of Cimenarum’s lawyers and many of the Curia and Teregenis live in the Financial district. It is a mixed use district, but few individual buildings or circles are mixed use. Circles are either residential or office space, never both.
The Docks are the least densely populated district, and the most densely built district. The few people who live in the district either own the warehouses or are direct employees responsible for the warehouse space.
Most green space within the walls is tenanted as urban farm and garden space. Most of this ground is leased directly from the Monarch at a nominal annual rate, usually a percentage of the produce which goes directly to the Famine Coffers. The city was originally developed to withstand sieges, and while that has not been a reality for several hundred years, the cultural history remains and food production remains a cultural insecurity. The exception is the Karsai circle, which is preserved as open space. Most of the recent infill development happened under Ardenis; in Vohan’s reign, very little green space was converted to development.
The city is primarily paved with a combination of cobbles, bricks and flagstones. A few circles are experimenting with cement, but results have been mixed.
Suburbanization is happening, outside of the langreve’s boundaries. Arisdal (west of the Crook), Andrasel (east) and Bruckides (south) have considerable settlements within commuting distance.