Best Development Tree Nodes To Unlock In Cities Skylines 2

When you reach a milestone, you will get Development points, which you can use to unlock different nodes on the Cities Skylines 2 Development Tree.

In short, the Development Node progression allows you to spend those development points and invest in your cities. However, there are specific nodes that you should unlock first in the Development Tree. We came up with this guide to help you choose the best nodes to unlock first.

• Advanced Road Services
• Parking Areas
• Welfare Office
• Trains
• College
• Park Maintenance
• Water and Tram
• Advanced Healthcare
• Emergency Battery Stations
• Road Infrastructure

Advanced Road Services [Roads]

Advanced Road Services is the second node option between Roundabout and Parking Areas in Cities Skylines 2. This is a perfect first development tree unlock for you, as it only requires one 1 Development point. Moreover, by unlocking this particular development, you can manage Traffic in your city efficiently.

You can also consider Roundabouts as they will cost you one development point. However, when choosing between Roundabouts and Advanced Road Services, the latter would be the more appropriate. This way, you can access traffic lights in different parts of your city and road maintenance facilities.

Parking Areas [Roads]

Moving onto the next node to unlock in your Development Skill tree, you should go with the Parking Areas in Cities Skylines 2. Installing the Parking Areas at various spots in your city is crucial. This way, the parking problems will not obstruct the traffic flow.

Moreover, you can charge money from the residents at parking in various spots. Once those areas level up, their popularity will increase, and so will your revenue generation.

Welfare Office [Police and Administration]

Everyone needs a Welfare Office in their city, and you should be no exception. You can spend one point to unlock the Welfare Office from the Development Tree in Cities Skylines 2. It can be found in the Police and Administration section.

It relates to your taxation aspect as there will be citizens present in your city who will not be able to afford higher education and will be struggling. Unlocking the Welfare Office allows you to help these residents in their time of need with accessible options in terms of low-rent areas, etc.

Trains [Transportation]

In the Transportation section, you can go with unlocking the Train node in the Cities Skylines 2 Development. Once you have set it up in your city, you can use it for other purposes. This will include import and export options apart from accompanying citizens from one location to another.

You will be able to generate a large amount of credit through this mode of transportation and can spend your profits on upgrading your City. Similarly, it would be wise to upgrade the Train network as you will be able to spread the train network all over your city and benefit more from it as well.

College [Education and Research]

You can go to the Education and Research section next and unlock the College node from the Development Tree in Cities Skylines 2. It will be a step up from the basic education services, and your citizens will be able to benefit significantly from it.

Setting up colleges in different districts will allow people to access them and enhance their knowledge. This way, you can move on to the other items and ignore the Education section for a short while until your City upgrades and the Education demand increases.

Once the need arises with the growing population, you can unlock the University option from the development skill tree.

Park Maintenance [Parks and Recreation]

Park Maintenance is crucial for you to unlock from the Development Tree if you want the residents to visit Parks frequently. After unlocking the Park Maintenance, you will have the option to go from Large Parks. Similarly, you can unlock the Sports Park to attract citizens as well.

After setting it up, you can add entry fees, which you can increase over time to profit from these Parks in Cities Skylines 2.

Water and Tram [Transportation]

You can unlock the Water node in the Transportation section from the Development Tree in Cities Skylines 2. This will allow you to utilize those large water bodies near your city. These will include rivers, lakes, waterways, etc.

Once you spend the development points on Water, you can use boats to deliver goods to other parts of the city. Moreover, you can open trade channels and provide your citizens with a new travel medium and also charge them for traveling.

Similarly, it would be best to consider spending your Development points on the Tram in the transportation skill tree. It is a cheaper option compared to the Subway and can house more passengers as well. You can set up its tracks in different parts of the city and link other cities to improve the transportation aspect.

Advanced Healthcare [Healthcare and Deathcare]

Regarding city management, you must spend development points on essential healthcare services. After unlocking it, you will also be able to access other options, such as Hospital and Crematorium in Cities Skylines 2.

It will cost you more than those medical clinics, but it will be well worth it once you upgrade it with certain aspects like increased medical facilities, installing a helipad on the roof, etc.

You can use the development points on the Disease Control Center as they will be vital for your citizens. By installing these in your city, you can improve the health impact on the residents and check if they are affected by air pollution (smog), etc.

Investing in a Cemetery may be a long shot if you have a small city, as this development point is best spent on large city areas. This way, it can also serve as a tourist attraction spot and satisfy the citizens in Cities Skylines 2.

Emergency Battery Station [Electricity]

Among the initial development nodes, your main focus should be on unlocking the Basic Electricity services first in the Development Tree. After that, you can shift this focus towards generating green energy that decreases the pollution aspect.

In short, you can start with the Basic Electricity services and then move on to the Emergency Battery Station to conserve the excess electricity you produce. This can be used as a backup in case of a power failure in any part of your city.  

As your population grows with your city, you can upgrade that to a solar power plant as it will be more efficient in producing more electrical energy. This will also serve as a clean energy option in Cities Skylines 2.

Road Infrastructure [Roads]

Every civilian, whether he owns a car or not, will be using the roads, i.e., sidewalks, streets, etc., so it is best to upgrade your roads. This can be done by installing Roundabouts to divert the traffic flow.

If you have enough development points, you can unlock the Underground Parking. Initially, it may seem expensive, but it will help you level up your city much quicker.

Moreover, you can generate more income as more residents will be attracted to underground parking, especially in areas of your city where the traffic gets too intense.