How to fix air pollution in Cities Skylines 2?

Want to fix air pollution in Cities Skylines 2? As your city blooms, you’ll need industries to fuel development. But watch out for air pollution.

Our Cities Skylines 2 review highlights how the wrong moves can slow or even reverse growth in a city. And here’s how to connect power lines in Cities Skylines 2 to keep your industries going.

How to fix air pollution in Cities Skylines 2?

Build industries and power plants away from residential areas and based on wind direction to fix air pollution in Cities Skylines 2. Green energy like wind turbines and solar power plants are your best solutions to a pollution-free city. Residential zones will helpfully show you an icon indicating air pollution gnawing at their respiratory systems. So if you pick a coal plant amidst your industries, keep track of wind direction before placing it. As you place it, arrows will indicate the direction of the wind.

Placing your plant the wrong way will send fumes to your city, lowering their happiness and raising pollution. This will push your healthcare system, forcing you to raise funding for these sectors. You’ll have to relocate the plant and industries to resolve a situation that’s easier to avoid in the first place.

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Rely on green sources of electricity as much as you can

While you may need several wind turbines to reach the power output of a small coal plant, the former option doesn’t cause pollution.

Not every map will support green energy so it might not always be feasible to run entirely on renewable energy. And importing electricity is expensive. So if you do choose fossil fuel-based tech, do so responsibly. Your garbage processing plant is also another offender in terms of air pollution. 

How to tell if your city is polluted in Cities Skylines 2

Watch out for messages on Chirper, the in-game social media platform. This will alert you to any developments in the city, positive or otherwise. If someone complains about a blanket of smog, it’s high time to rework your industrial infrastructure. If you don’t take action in time, you’ll end up needing a cemetery instead.

That covers how to fix air pollution in Cities Skylines 2. Watch out for the steep Cities Skylines 2 system requirements before playing it. The game is already out on PC. As for Cities Skylines 2 on Xbox and PS5, you’ll need to wait till 2024.