Nov 6, 2020

Updated July 7, 2024

a note from the creator

I am a professional urban planner. My career focuses on land development and the built environment, as well as urban design, natural resources, transportation, and infrastructure. Land use decisions affect everyone. Planning is a tool to improve the health and well-being of people; to determine how people will live, work and play in a community or area; and to maintain a beautiful, efficient, and safe built environment.

I am also a fan of lore and video games. I began playing Fallout 4 the day it was released. As a newcomer to the Fallout universe, I was blown away by the lore and post-apocalyptic environment and society. I was especially interested in the workshop and settlement building in the game. Over the years, I have built countless virtual buildings and communities, some larger than others. However, these projects never felt sufficient—they were monotonous and small. I wanted to build something spectacular. In 2017, while in graduate school for planning, I began to plan a settlement on the largest build area in the game—Spectacle Island.

First, I surveyed the island and its landscape. The island features many hills and a rocky terrain and is, of course, surrounded by water. Next, I began to plan the location of the first couple of roads. The main thoroughfare, known as “Main Street,” would traverse a large portion of the island from north to south, where it would meet “South Avenue,” which runs east to west. I put the project away for a time while finishing graduate school. In 2019, with the roads mapped out, I picked the project back up and began to plan which buildings and uses to build first and where they would be located. I was inspired by several real-life examples of charming downtowns, main streets, and neighborhoods. I wanted to create a fortified community safe for tourists and residents with diverse architecture, landscaped parks, and neighborhoods each with their own unique culture and style. The first buildings I planned were a government complex, a mixed-use building, a taproom, and a single-family residence. The government complex, known as “Capital Square,” would sit on a hill at the end of the Main Street sightline and be visible from nearly every point of the island. The mixed-use building would feature commercial, medical, and residential space, and would sit on the opposite end of Main Street. The taproom sat across the street. Finally, the single-family residence would be located on a separate street on a hill overlooking Main Street—called “Overlook Street.” This also required another road to be constructed north of Main Street running east to west—called “North Avenue." Next, I needed a landmark—a jewel of architectural or landscaping. Since the city was to be tourist-friendly, I decided a hotel would be plausible. The Spectacle Hotel was placed on the northern side of Main Street across from the mixed-use development. With this, the city began to develop its own character and style that is still being expanded today.

Today, my virtual city boasts 266 buildings, 50 roads including alleys and trails, 34 parks and gardens, 22 neighborhoods, and an abundance of sightly attractions scattered throughout. In addition, it features its own history, lore, characters, and even factions. Each building was designed by an architect, some of whom have designed multiple buildings, and plays an important part in its respective neighborhood. Each individual building features unique interior design and style separate from others; an assigned street address; and land use/zoning classification.

This project has been difficult but rewarding. Everything you see—each individual item—was thoughtfully considered and meticulously placed. Buildings were built one floor at a time, one room at a time, by each individual floor, wall, roof, door, light fixture, and item of furniture and decor. Roads were built one concrete slab after the other. Every tree on every lot, along every road, and in every garden, park, or preservation area was considered for its size and planted one by one. I considered every item placed for its consistency with the overall character of the neighborhood or part of the island it falls in. I have scrapped as many items as I have placed, if not more. I have dismantled entire buildings, parks, and roads, each made up of thousands of individual parts. I have scrapped countless ideas and plans. Everything you see is intentional and has a purpose.

As of summer 2024, the settlement build is considered built-out, meaning there are no expansions planned for the foreseeable future. Any new activity will be in the form of infill development and vertical growth, converting green spaces or vacant lots into high-intensity uses. This ultimately depends on how the mods used to create the settlement interact with the Fallout 4 next-gen update for PlayStation 5.

I hope you enjoy my creation. I am so excited to share it with you.

Welcome to Spectacle Island: the new great green jewel of the Commonwealth.

This is an independent project made with Fallout 4 software with modifications on a PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Pro, and PlayStation 5. Modifications are not my own. All Fallout 4 footage and screenshots depicted on this website are original captures and edits. No person associated with this project received payment or anything of value for this work. While Spectacle Island is a real place, “the City of Spectacle Island,” as well as the story, names, characters, and incidents depicted on this website are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.