New City SanFran style?

Very cool idea, Alan. If you try this approach, you need to incorporate this.

A few views of multilevel towns/cities from layouts I've built. Stacking buildings can let you put a lot into a small area. Don't limit yourself to just two levels. Progress from one to the other in a series of terraces.

I don't worry much about connecting levels with roadways. That tends to eat up space better occupied by buildings IMO. I've always said that you would have to be a heck of a driver to negotiate my streets and roads.  

Basically, you just need a lot of retaining walls, bridges, support piers, stone arches - all the things that make an urban area interesting IMO.

Also, many cities had to build in and around cliffs, rock outcroppings, and other natural features. The Bronx where I grew up is a prime example of a city built on hills. We kids from Da Bronx had our own San Francisco to play in!

Jim

Jim; your scenery work is absolutely amazing.

I have one "San Francisco" Street on my layout.  Here is a photo.  Unfortunately its under construction - a six-story building goes in the gap between the two buildings on the left and the movie theater, but  had to remove it to get to the  space behind it to where a new hotel is going in.  

Anyway, the slope of this street is 8% - one inch rise in a foot, not as steep as some but I wanted 'Streets vehicles to run up and down it so had to limit it to less than 10%.  There are four distinct levels to my downtown area but only this one sloped street right now. 

One thing I learned is that with a sloped Street you have to think thru the foundations of your buildings very carefully.  It is not just that you have to level them out on a sloping street.  The real challenge is to locate them and make their foundation, etc., in a way that makes the stairs/entrance look realistic and natural.  

Pictures are from 1988-1991.

Cross streets running out from a diagonal Market Street (Geary, Sutter, Post, Bush) are terraced across Nob Hill.

Building foundations are terraced up the hill on side streets.  Sidewalks and pavement climb the hills at a 45% angle.

You will probably either scratch built lower floors or hide part of the ground floor. 

Occasionally, streets end a steep grade.

Photos scanned from prints.

Jim's examples are perfect for showing you do not need room stealing ramps for roads. MAYBE one 'ramp' but just 'levels' work well.

You are right about the room stealing ramps.  I made the one sloped street mainly because I wanted to just make it, and it is cool to look at.  

How about some sort of cable car system. Don