Cities Skylines 2 development tree – all unlocks and development point costs

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Wondering about the Cities Skylines 2 development tree? Unlocking new buildings works a little differently in the sequel.

Our Cities Skylines 2 vs Cities Skylines comparison gives you a good idea of the changes in the new game. And here’s how to sell electricity in Cities Skylines 2 to make a quick buck.

Cities Skylines 2 development tree: An image of the progression menu.

Development tree explained in Cities Skylines 2

Instead of population targets, milestones and Development Points are earned by improving your city in Cities Skylines 2. These points can be used to unlock new buildings in the game. Note that some essential buildings aren’t locked behind these points. But if you want to build your city in a specific way, you’ll have to sacrifice other paths until you get more Development Points to spend.

This lets you determine the growth of the city. You could choose to focus on any aspect in particular to improve them but note that these buildings don’t come cheap. To sustain expansion, here’s how to earn money fast in Cities Skylines 2. And here are the kinds of upgrades you can expect in the game.

All Cities Skylines 2 Development Points unlocks list

Development Points can be spent on a number of categories. Here are all the Development Points unlocks in the game.

Roads

Focus here to improve your road infrastructure. Parking spaces and roundabouts are important upgrades here. Highways are a great way of connecting distant parts of your cities together. Here are all the unlockable road upgrades:

  • Roundabouts (1 Development Point)
  • Parking Areas (2 Development Points)
  • Underground Parking Building (4 Development Points)
  • Automated Parking Buildings (8 Development Points)
  • Advanced Road Services (1 Development Points)
  • Highways (2 Development Points)
  • Large Roads (2 Development Points)
  • Intersections (4 Development Points)
  • Grand Bridge (8 Development Points)

Electricity

Try leaning towards green energy to minimize pollution. But if you do opt for fossil fuels, here’s how to fix air pollution in Cities Skylines 2. Here are all the unlockable electricity and power upgrades:

  • Gas Power Plant (2  Development Points)
  • Coal Power Plant (4 Development Points)
  • Nuclear Power Plant (8 Development Points)
  • Emergency Battery Station (1 Development Point)
  • Geothermal Power Plant (2 Development Points)
  • Solar Power Plant (4 Development Points)
  • Hydroelectric Power Plant (2 Development Points)

Water

A water treatment plant is a good investment early in the game. Here are all the unlockable water upgrades:

  • Water Treatment Plant (2 Development Points)
  • Advanced Water Pumping Station (8 Development Points)

Healthcare

Health is an important factor when it comes to the growth of your city. Note that these buildings are particularly expensive though. Here are all the unlockable health upgrades:

  • Hospital (2 Development Points)
  • Disease Control Center (8 Development Points)
  • Health Research Institute (8 Development Points)

Garbage

A clean city develops far more quickly than one where trash collects in landfills. Here are all the unlockable garbage upgrades:

  • Incinerator Plant (2 Development Points)
  • Recycling Center (2 Development Points)
  • Industrial Waste Processing (8 Development Points)

Education and Research

Education is another important factor in developing your industries. Here are all the unlockable education upgrades:

  • College (1 Development Points)
  • University (2 Development Points)
  • Radio Telescope (4 Development Points)
  • Geological Research Center (4 Development Points)
  • Large Hadron Collider (8 Development Points)
  • Technical University (2 Development Points)
  • Medical University (2 Development Points)

Fire and Rescue

Protect yourself from fires and Cities Skylines 2 natural disasters with these options. Here are all the unlockable disaster management upgrades:

  • Small Emergency Shelter (1 Development Point)
  • Large Emergency Shelter (4 Development Points)
  • Early Disaster Warning System (8 Development Points)
  • Fire Station (2 Development Points)
  • Firewatch Tower (1 Development Point)
  • Firefighting Helicopter Depot (2 Development Points)

Police and Administration

Police helps reduce crime rates. Consider policies in Cities Skylines 2 for the same. Here are all the unlockable administration upgrades:

  • Welfare Office (1 Development Point)
  • City Hall (4 Development Points)
  • Central Bank (8 Development Points)
  • Police Headquarters (2 Development Points)
  • Prison (4 Development Points)
  • Central Intelligence Bureau (8 Development Points)

Transportation

Transport forms the lifelines of your settlements. They’re helpful when it comes to exports and tourism too. Here’s how to get hotels in Cities Skylines 2. Here are all the unlockable transport upgrades:

  • Train (1 Development Point)
  • International Airport (8 Development Points)
  • Tram (2 Development Points)
  • Subway (4 Development Points)
  • Water (2 Development Points)
  • Air (4 Development Points)
  • Space Center (8 Development Points)

Parks and Recreation

These help with city attractiveness. Here are all the unlockable recreational upgrades:

  • Park Maintenance (1 Development Point)
  • Large Parks (2 Development Points)
  • Sports Parks (2 Development Points)
  • Large Sports Parks (4 Development Points)
  • Tourist Attractions (8 Development Points)

Communication

This aids the welfare of your citizens. Here are all the unlockable communication upgrades:

  • Port Sorting Facility (2 Development Points)
  • Server Farm (4 Development Points)
  • Telecom Tower (4 Development Points)
  • Sattelite Uplink (8 Development Points)

That covers the development tree in Cities Skylines 2. Earning new unlocks with Development Points lets you inch closer to the city of your dreams. Here’s how to connect power lines in Cities Skylines 2 to minimize blackouts. You can check these buildings out on PC. As for Cities Skylines 2 on Xbox and PS5, fans will have to wait for a launch scheduled sometime in 2024.

About the Author

Antony Terence

Antony Terence is a Guides Writer for VideoGamer. While he is particularly fond of city-builders, shooters, and strategy titles, he won’t turn down a good JRPG or a turn-based roguelike.

Cities Skylines 2

  • Platform(s): PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series S/X, Xbox Series X
  • Genre(s): Simulation, Strategy