How to Grow a City up to Unlocking University

NOTE: this is just roughly what i do in my runs, it's not set in stone, all clicks are not even mentioned; feel free to comment, question, critique, adapt, etc~

1. Pause.
2. Using Small Roads, build six 1x5-unit blocks.
3. Zone 4 residential blocks, 1 commercial, and 1 industrial.
4. Lower the budget of both power and water to 50%.
5a. Place Coal Power plant
5b. Connect with powerlines to
5c. Water Drain Pipe and Water Pump Station placings.
5d. Connect both with a water pipe and create a waterpipe network under the road layout.
6. Unpause.
7. Growth begins. Wait for Little Hamlet Milestone.

8. at Little Hamlet: (take small loan) Build first Elementary School and Medical Clinic and increase Education and Healthcare budgets to 150%.
8a. Increase Electricity budget to 75%.
8b. Build more roads for balanced zoning and keep waterpipes prelaid.
8c. Build Landfill site(s).
8d. Raise Commercial and Industrial Taxes, lower as needed.

9. at Worthy Village: (take medium loan) Build first Fire House and Police Station and increase Fire Dept. and Police Dept. budgets to 150%.
9a. Increase Elec. budget to 100% and Water budget to 75%.
9b. Build 2nd Elementary School.

10. at Tiny Town: Build High School, enable Parks and Recreations Policy, Place Carousel parks, Elec. budget up to 125%, Parks budget up to 150%

11. at Boom Town: Elec.budget up to 150%, Water budget up to 100%, Build Cemetery, enable Recreational Use policy, build 2nd Coal Factory(add as needed), build second Fire/Police/Clinic (add as needed) (and as you can afford them)

12. at Busy Town: Water budget up to 125%

13.At Big Town:high density unlocked; you're on your own, big girl~ =) and throw down a University ASAP...keep the coverage of services and utilities balanced with the road layout you are making.  GLHF~~

a highlight video of me doing this guide live on stream can be found at https://www.twitch.tv/videos/406247146

"This is by no means the only way; but it does seem to be the best way thus far"

pRo9aMeR

Cities: Skylines

Green Plains

Riverrun

The Archipelago (Natural Disasters)

Emulemoi

Stiter

No Mods

Infinite Money

Post 1.12

Pre 1.12

Hard

Difficulty

Patch 1.12

Update: I added new run categories, we won't be doing in game time

Here's the official Cities: Skylines speedrun Discord

No-DLC runs on DLC maps?

All maps combined time

Can i become a mod?

azuarc

Taisato

BOTHaven

Joshua_LeMay

SuperGamingYT