Vetalia City

Vetalia City, from the Maktal

Overview

The Vetalian capitol is one of the world's major cities, with a population of over 138 million in its metro area and a population of nearly 66 million within the city itself. As its seat of government, the city also boasts a significant community of expatriates as well as a major military presence for security purposes. The city's per capita economic output, standards of living, and role in the nation's culture are all unrivaled within Vetalia and continue to grow and influence the nation and the world at large. In recent years, proactive leadership under the Lebev and Rushalio administrations have seen the city undergo major renovation and expansion, but at significant cost.

Climate and Geography

Vetalia City lies in the province of Kazlova, a humid, tropical region in the southern reaches of Vetalia. Its climate is hot year-round, with temperatures averaging around 35C, often reaching as high as 40+, and cooling down to an average 28-30C in the winter. Rain is heavier in the winter months, with summers usually dry and sunny, albeit humid. Sudden rainstorms are also a common occurrence, although the deadly flash floods of the city's early years have long since been addressed. The city also boasts several attractive beaches along the Kazlovan Bay, and the warm waters of the Moldava river are ideal for boating and fishing. However, like many tropical cities, diseases such as malaria and yellow fever can be a problem during the rainy season; Vetalia's excellent medical system and advanced technologies make these diseases mostly irrelevant and nearly harmless, but they can pose a problem to travelers and expatriates who are not vaccinated against them. Insect control and constant upgrades to the drainage and sewer systems ensure that the problem is kept under control, even in poor areas like the Battery, but despite these efforts it still remains a minor problem.

History

Vetalia City is fairly new, having been established in the 1905 as the new seat of the Vetalian Empire. The planned city, the first of its kind in Vetalia, was designed to maximize its ability to grow and accommodate new infrastructure, and its position on the Moldava river enabled it to tap in to the profitable commercial shipping market. The goal was to have a city that was as economically influential as it was politically influential, and in this respect Vetalia City was a total success. By 1945, a mere 40 years after it was founded and settled with 100,000 volunteer citizens, its population was over 9.8 million and still growing, making it one of the largest cities in the world. This growth rate, which annualized to over 12% per year, was the highest in its history and was not approached again until nearly 40 years later during the 1980's bubble. However, this was not to last, as the disruptions and war damage during the Revolution caused it to plunge to around 4.4 million by the time the revolution ended in 1955; fortunately, much of this was population loss, not population killed, and so many people returned to the city as it recovered economically following the Revolution. During the years of the Republic, it was reconstructed, expanded, and as a result its economy surpassed its 1950 peak by 1975. The massive reconstruction efforts of this time led to major expansions in infrastructure which pushed growth in to the areas around the city and led to considerable suburban expansion. However, due to the city's urban pro-growth policies, it did not suffer any serious urban decline and in fact grew more economically robust as the 1970's passed.

During the 1980's the population swelled as Vetalia's technology boom accelerated, and its commitment to a flat tax, combined with its generous corporate tax policies and warm climate caused the city's population to grow at a 7-10% rate from 1980-1989. The economy also expanded at a blistering pace of around 12% per year during this period, but following the collapse of the VSCE bubble, growth slowed sharply and the negative effects of the boom were brought to light. The population had expanded from 10 million to 25 million, putting vast strain on the city's infrastructure despite the breakneck growth in spending to try and absorb the growth. Economic inequality skyrocketed, from a Gini index level of around 30 to 45.1 by 1989, and inflation in the metropolitan area ran around 5-7% per year, as compared to the 3-4% in the rest of the nation.

Following the economic bubble, growth in Vetalia City slowed dramatically to around 1% per year and the economy crawled at a 1-2% pace following the devastating 1990 recession, which caused a 10% contraction in city GDP and unemployment to hit 14% by January of 1991. Tax revenues also fell, and the wash of risky projects undertaken by the government threatened to bring the city underwater. The Rybkin administration, dogged by corruption and anger at the city's mismanagement, resigned in 1992 and Vladimir Skokov, a left-wing reformer, took office. Viewing the city's financial stability as essential to its recovery, he imposed a major series of tax hikes and adjusted the tax code from flat to progressive. Although this caused a major slowdown in economic output in 1993 and 1994, the cuts achieved his goal of completing and paying off the debt incurred in the 1980's as well as expanding education, health, and welfare services to address inequality. The economy improved as the stability of the banking system, city finances, and Skokov's commitment to anti-corruption and open government revitalized investment despite higher taxes. The city's expanded educational and health systems produced more educated workers and attracted the biotechnology and healthcare industries to the city. Growth accelerated, from 0.1% in 1994 to 1.3% in 1995, 3.5% in 1995, 4.2% in 1996, 5% in 1997, 4.7% in 1998, 6% in 1999, and peaked at 6.8% in 2000. The city's population also grew during this period, averaging around 3-4% per year in the 1996-2000 period with the city surpassing 30.6 million in 2000.

A global recession in 2002 caused the economy to slow to around 2-3% growth during the 2003-2005 period, but rebounded in 2006 and onward, vacillating between 2-5% per year with occasional spikes above and below this trend, hitting 40 million in 2010. Population growth continued its increase in the 2-3% range, hitting In 2006, after serving three terms as one of the most popular mayors in Vetalia City's history, Skokov retired from office and was replaced by the centrist candidate Mikhail Lebev. During his first term, Lebev initially expanded the city's reserve fund to three years' expenditures, and then cut taxes to return most of the budget surpluses to the citizens. He also flattened the tax code somewhat and instituted negative income-tax measures as a replacement for welfare. The efficacy of these measures was generally positive, but came at the cost of some income equality; however, the negative income tax did stimulate labor participation and caused unemployment among the bottom 25% to fall from around 10% in 2006 to under 6% in 2011. He won reelection in 2011 in a close race with Ivan Rushalio. His second term saw the initiation of the Urban Revitalization Project, a 20-year, $1 trillion project that would upgrade, expand, replace, and renovate significant parts of the city. The most notable act other than the URP was the creation of the Technology Task Force, a staff created to keep him and the council up to date on rapid technological change and to suggest ways that the city could capture new markets. During his term, the emergence of artificial intelligence and biomechanics as major industries in the city provided a notable boost to growth and helped the city accomodate the loss of low-level IT and manufacturing position to other, cheaper regions. However, in 2016 he resigned, and in the ensuing elections his former rival Ivan Rushalio was elected mayor.

Present Day

The Rushalio administration has been fortunate to see strong economic conditions, with the second technology boom pushing up growth rates and population growth, and the effects of the URP starting to bear economic fruit. GDP has increased at around 5-6% per year with population growing at a steady 3-4% since 2011, and as of 2020, the most recent census, it was at 57 million and climbing, with estimates as of 2023 as high as 65 million in the city proper. This boom has produced some notable new construction, including the Trepov Tower, a massive, futuristic structure designed as part casino, nightclub, luxury hotel, spa, luxury apartment complex and even arena, with the Trepov Arena hosting a number of major sporting events and conventions. The New Arbat has also emerged as a major new growth area, with some of the tallest skyscrapers in the city under construction for firms such as Bellatrix Telecommunications, Vetalian Syncrude, and Xilare Integrated Atomics, and the Embankment, the city's financial core, has seen major new projects, including a major expansion to the VCSE complex and several new skyscrapers.

The Urban Renovation Project has been strengthened by the Rushalio administration, with its budget doubled to $2 trillion over the original timeframe and another $1 trillion budgeted for the 2033-2053 period. Several new projects, including the subterranean maglev network, the reserve power grid and the city-wide Neural Interface System have all continued to expand, reflecting the emergence of new technologies as well as continued funding. Conventional infrastructure has not been neglected either, with some $5 billion per year spent on upgrading the water and sewer networks and $20 billion on schools, police, and fire protection. Medical advances have also led to reforms in the city's retirement plan, medical care and insurance law, and taxes for these programs, mostly to the citizens' benefit. In 2020, Mayor Rushalio created the Accelerating Technology Task Force, a part of the TTF whose goal is to assess the impact of accelerating progress on the city and develop strategies and forecasts in regard to it. This has helped the city capture new markets like bionics, neurotechnology, and spintronics, which have added considerable value to the economy. Rushalio's expansion of financial aid and funding to the city's universities has helped them keep up with change and produce consistently strong classes of skilled workers, and his Omnibus Technology Amendment, passed by the Council in 2023, reflects the city's commitment to maintaining its technological edge. The future of the city appears to be in good shape based upon current trends.

Problems

Although significantly improved from the 1980's or 1990's, the city still has some major problems. Crime is still a difficult issue in poorer neighborhoods like the Battery, and although racial tensions have eased in recent years there is still some difficulty and discrimination by police in these areas. Organized crime operates in some parts of the city, and corruption in government remains a challenge despite the continued reforms by the Rushalio and Skokov administrations. Pollution has decreased markedly since fossil fuels began to peak and decline in the 2015's, as new vehicles are far cleaner and more efficent, but pollutants like e-waste, biomedical waste, and general consumer garbage are still problems. The city's water quality is high and continues to improve following "seeding" by pollution regulating bacteria and major upgrades to treatment, but problems such as water waste and shortages in the summer remain problems that have only begun to be addressed. Traffic remains a problem, and will likely remain so for the foreseeable future despite spending on mass transit and infrastructure expansion. Power problems, however, are a thing of the past and the reserve grid offers unprecedented reliability at low cost.

Major Districts

Government Quarter

The Government Quarter is home to the government of Vetalia, which resides in the quarter and its nearby districts, and several surrounding areass are home to high-ranking government officials. Notable buildings include the Ministries, the Praetorial Palace, the Supreme Court of Vetalia, and the Borodin Theater, a masterpiece of Imperial architecture dating from 1917. Other notable places are the Museum of Natural History, Museum of Technology, Xenia Smetana Rose Garden, and the Vetalian Botanical Gardens, which are some of the largest in the world. The Malenkov Palace, the original home of the Vetalian Emperors and now a combination museum, social club, and public park, is currently host to the famous Spring Festival, one of the most elaborate celebrations in Vetalia which lasts for a week in mid-May and attracts many famous and wealthy citizens as well as throngs of foreign tourists and people from across Vetalia. This is one of the oldest districts in the city, with much of its architecture dating from the Imperial and Republican periods; also, a significant amount of additional structures have been renovated or restored according to their original Imperial plans thanks to the efforts of the city government and its universities, along with cooperation from local museums and historical societies. The Diplomatic District, home to diplomatic missions since the city's founding, and the Kalograd District, which was founded following the Revolution to serve as an annex to the Diplomatic District, are home to foreign embassies as well as several major government institutes, like VARPA, the VIH/CDC and the Vetalian Institute for Artificial Intelligence. As of 2023, roughly 8 million people live in the Government District and 2 million in Kalograd and the Diplomatic District.

New Arbat

Built originally during the last days of the Empire in the 1940's, it was a working-class industrial and residential district for much of its history. However, starting in the 1970's it began to become more commercialized and upscale, with many of the factories and warehouses closing and being replaced by shopping and offices. During the past two decades, it has become a major business center for the energy and telecommunications industries, both due to its lower real estate costs and its proximity to the city's Leonov International Airport and the under-construction Yuri Gorbatko Spaceport, which will be the largest commercial spaceport in the nation when it opens in 2025. This district has also been home to the Bureau of Printing and Engraving for the Vetalian Mint since 2012, when the need for currency and the emergence of RFID currency chips were becoming unmanageable for the old Bureau to handle. It is home to the city's museums of science and technology, and is likely to be the site of the new Museum of Invention, which will be constructed in 2028 to honor the country's inventors and innovative thinkers. Although it lacks the history, wealth, or tourist attractions of the Government Quarter and other districts, the district is notable for its ethnic neighborhoods and its annual Oktoberfest, which celebrates, among other things, the district's many microbreweries who compete for the pride and business boost of being voted best beer by festivalgoers. As of 2023, it has a population of around 13 million and continues to grow rapidly. The district council has worked hard to preserve its traditions in the face of new growth, and whether or not this will succeed is still uncertain.

City Center

The densest part of the city, it ironically also has one of the smaller permanent populations of only 4 million. During the day, this swells 10-fold to 40 million as workers enter the area to work in its many massive skyscrapers and at the VCSE, where tens of trillions of dollars in stock and securities wealth are traded every day. This area also hosts a number of prestigious restaurants and high-end boutiques that cater to the wealthy customers that work and travel to the area. The 24-hour operating hours of the district ensure that it is packed with people at all times, and its massive networks of neon advertising signs, holograms, and billboards give it a colorful glow that can be seen for a considerable distance. It maintains a sizable, vibrant nightlife that attracts many of the city's wealthiest and most famous citizens. Despite its small population, it boasts the highest per-capita income of any district, as well as the highest living costs. Construction also continues at a lively pace here, as many businesses build upward on their existing sites to expand office space rather than pay the exorbiant cost of new land, which is around 40,000 Solaris per square foot in the middle of the City Center and continues to rise along with the local economy. Despite the flurry of new construction, occupancy rates are over 97% in the city center and do not appear to be falling any time soon, with average rents as high as 100 Solaris per square foot. A notable project currently under construction is QuantaNet Communications' corporate headquarters, which when completed will reach 150 stories in to the sky to become the city's biggest tower as well as its single largest building in terms of rentable office space. A positive benefit of its density is the fact that the City Center has one of the highest utilization rates of mass transit in the city, with over 80% of workers using it to get to work in order to avoid the traffic-choked entryways in to the center. The district is a frequent case study in population growth and dynamics by urban planners, and its architectural stylings have been imitated in many other Vetalian cities, especially Xilare.

The Maktal

This district is Vetalia City's most populous, with its 19 million inhabitants making up most of the permanent population. It is the city's entertainment capitol, with many of the district's casinos, hotels and nightclubs located along its famous Maktal Avenue. This includes the new Trepov Tower, whose futuristic stylings and high technology have ushered in a new generation of super-high tech structures that combine multiple forms of fun and pleasure in to a single gleaming edifice that has changed the face of the district. In the next decade, it is expected that at least 1/4 of the commercial properties in the district will undergo renovation and reconstruction, many of them equalling or exceeding the Trepov Tower in scope and styling. This district contributes the vast majority of tourist dollars in to the economy, and its lower living costs compared to other parts of the city (although highly relative compared to the rest of the country) make it an attractive place for new residents to establish themselves. It also has some of the lowest district tax rates, with gambling providing more than enough money for the district to eliminate all of its other taxes on residents. However, the entertainment district and the massive profits from gambling also attracts crime and organized crime, which remain stubborn problems in the district despite continued crackdowns by police.

The area is served by the largest number of mass transit and road networks in the city, resulting in a very smooth flow of traffic that has served as a model for city planners as they continue to expand the scope of the URP. In recent years, the region has also faced competition from new establishments in the Arbat, with the two districts likely to engage in competition in the near future to secure a position as the top entertainment district in the city. However, the Maktal's history, continued healthy growth, and well-established casinos are likely to retain their edge for the foreseeable future.

The Docks

One of Vetalia City's smaller districts, it nonetheless boasts a population of over 6 million. The name of the district reflects its position on the Moldava river and its past role as a major shipping port for the city, although it has been decades since Vetalia City used the river for commercial shipping, with cargos preferring to use the city's connection to the national commercial maglev system to transport goods in a fraction of the time and cost it would take to ship by water. Currently, the docks are primarily the home of many private marinas, and it boasts some of the most abundant parkland in the entire city. The older architecture, most of it dating from the 1920's and 1930's, is well kept and many historical societies exist in the area to preserve and uncover more of its heritage. It possesses a unique culture that is different from other parts of the city and reflects its constant contact with other places, which results in a very open-minded and accepting community. Notably, the district possesses a very large pagan community that hosts rites outside of the city each year, and its pride in its mystical heritage is reflected in the diversity of religions that make it up. The area is also home to the city's largest LGBT community, which is responsible for raising public awareness on issues relevant to the community and collecting and preserving their history in Vetalia City. This colorful, diverse (literally anything can be found here) and often chaotic, but friendly, atmosphere makes it one of the most popular places to visit by inhabitants of the city and one of the most desired places to migrate too. However, high housing costs related to the need for historical preservation make it difficult for people to move in to the area and so the population remains fairly stable at around 6 million. This region is known for its strongly liberal attitudes and consistently left-wing politicians elected to the city council, many of whom have been responsible for the city's most sweeping reforms. Community pride has also blessed the district with one of the lowest crime rates in the city and a high degree of income equality compared to other areas.

The Battery

Named after the string of forts that once protected the river delta during the city's early history, this district has an official population of 3 million and an estimated unofficial population as high as 6-8 million. It is the city's poorest district, with many of itseconomic troubles associated with the decline in shipping during the 1960's and the racial and ethnic policies of the Imperial and early Republic periods, which created a large income gap between groups and worsened tensions that continue to this day. Crime is the highest in the city here, with problems such as robbery and assault dominating the statistics, and gang warfare a common problem, especially over the lucrative illegal drugs market. Organized crime also operates here, with sales of illegal cyberware and bioware, mainly devices used for criminal purposes like neural interfaces with the ability to hack the Internet or cognition enhancements that enable the user to crack quantum encryption keys. The sale of these devices is highly lucrative, and there is widespread susupicion that the police in the area are either corrupt or unable to stop these criminals from operating. Money laundering and extortion are also endemic in the region, and weapons trafficking represents a new and dangerous trend in city crime that has proven next to impossible to control. The region has many old, abandoned and decaying buildings, some even still showing damage from the Revolution. Living costs are the lowest in the city here, in fact below the Vetalian average, if only due to the dire economic condition of the region and widespread decay. A concerning fact to city authorities is that the population is increasing, reflecting both problems with illegal immigration as well as high birth rates, both of which are putting strain on the already depressed region's economy. Since the 1990's, attempts to change the situation have met with limited success, especially since the humid delta region is less attractive for investors than the regions upriver. Problems with flooding have been controlled since upgrades to the sewer system and the drainage network in the 2000's. However, despite continued attempts by government to vitalize this region, it remains poor and economically decrepit, a dark spot on the overall success of the city's economic policies.

City Government

The city is governed by a council, which is comprised of 61 members elected by each of the six districts according to population, who serve an unlimited number of 3 year terms. The mayor of the city is elected by popular vote every 5 years; although there is no official term limit it is traditional that the mayor usually serves no more than three terms. The mayor appoints the heads of the city's departments, who are approved by the Council to serve 10-year terms, and the mayor is capable of drafting legislation as well as vetoing legislation proposed by the council. Budgets are proposed by the departments, who send them to Council for approval and then to the Mayor's desk for signing in to law. The Council also has the power to sell bonds in order to raise funds, and its ability to borrow directly from the federal government was established by the Capitol Act of 1973, which gave the city special privileges as the capitol of Vetalia. Other unique powers include the ability to tax government officials' salaries and to send representatives to the Senate.

The City Charter serves as the constitutional document for city government, with it legally bound to obey it. Amendments to the Charter require popular approval by 2/3 of the population and all six districts as well as approval by the Council. Only the Council can propose Amendments, and the Mayor has no power over them except to suggest changes. A notable feature of the Charter is its Amendment Rule; if an amendment fails, it cannot be proposed again for another 10 years. This is designed to protect against bad changes to the Charter, and has been successful at defeating legislation in the past.

Federal Government

As capitol of Vetalia, the city is home to a number of government personnel as well as several major military forces, including the 12th Army, the 23rd Air Force, and the 3rd Army of the Vetalian Marines, known as the Capitol Guards. The city is also home to the Vetalian Elite Guard, a 50,000 strong force that consists of the most elite soldiers in the entire armed forces and whose duty is to protect the Vetalian government at all costs; their dedicated loyalty to the Praetor dates back to the time of the Empire, when the Praetorian Guard served as the personal bodyguard of the Emperor and their court. Overall, approximately 1.5 million soldiers are stationed in the city, with another 1.5 million in reserve and another 3 million National Guard soldiers stationed within a day of the city. Hidden in most major districts are caches of weapons, anti-air defenses, and command centers for the military, most of which were built during the 1960's and 1970's to protect the city but have recently been expanded and renovated to reflect changes in strategy and new military needs. Roughly 500,000 civilians are also employed by the military, many of whom live in Kalograd and the surrounding suburbs.

The civilian government employs 3 million citizens in the city, almost all of whom live in the Government district and staff the ministries and other functions of the government. The Diplomatic District and Kalograd have approximately 2 million expatriates living in them, of whom only a small number are attached to the diplomatic embassies and most of whom are employed by private corporations and other businesses. The two districts combined can hold up to 250 compounds for diplomatic staff, and the surrounding suburbs supply affordable and sizable residences to those unable to affod more expensive living in the city. Other sites can be placed upon request, but given the additional fees it is generally discouraged that foreign embassies be placed outside of areas approved by the government.