The Best Development Tree Unlocks In Cities: Skylines 2

Explore and Learn about the Development Tree Unlocks in Cities Skylines 2

In Cities Skylines 2, your city’s success largely depends on how wisely you spend your Development Points to unlock various buildings and services from the Development Tree. With very limited development points and numerous choices, making the right decisions is essential.

Key Takeaways
  • Development Tree is divided into 11 categories of city planning and management areas.
  • You can unlock buildings and services from the development trees using development points based on the priority of your issues in the city.
  • Building a Hospital early on in the game is important to ensure the health and well-being of your citizens.
  • As Natural Disasters can come anytime, building Small Emergency Shelters early must be on your list. 
  • Your choices will decide whether your Metropolis thrives or faces challenges.

Best Development Tree Unlocks Compared

Here are the best development tree nodes that you need to unlock to run a great city in Cities Skylines 2:

Serial noNodeDevelopment TreeMilestone RequiredCost
1Hospital Healthcare and Deathcare1: Tiny Village2 Development Points
2CollegeEducation2: Small Village1 Development Point
3Small Emergency ShelterFire & Rescue3: Large Village1 Development Point
4FirewatchTowerFire & Rescue3: Large Village1 Development Point
5Advanced Road ServicesRoads-1 Development Point
6Welfare OfficePolice and Aministration3: Large Village1 Development Point
7TramTransportation4: Grand Village2 Development Points
8Solar Power PlantElectricity-4 Development Points

1. Hospital

skylines 2 best development trees
Hospital [Image By Me]
Development Tree Healthcare & Deathcare
Milestone Required 1: Tiny Village
Cost 1 Development Point

At the start of your journey in the Cities Skylines 2, when you reach Milestone 1: Tiny Village, you will get two development points. You will soon start to notice citizens complain about the healthcare system, which is quite understandable. If you want to prevent your population from falling, then building a Hospital is a must. With numerous Electricity and Water Trees choices, you must unlock the Hospital node in the Healthcare & Deathcare Tree. 

2. College

skylines 2 best development trees
College [Shot By Me]
Development Tree Education
Milestone Required 2: Small Village
Cost 1 Development Point

Unlocking the College in Cities Skylines 2 is a pivotal step in providing higher education to your citizens. This is essential to increase the education level of your population. This will allow you to levy higher taxes on more educated citizens. Your city can thrive and generate greater income with a more educated workforce. Unlock College for your citizens in the Education Tree for just one development point

3. Small Emergency Shelter

skylines 2 best development trees
Small Emergency Shelter [Image By Me]
Development Tree Fire & Rescue
Milestone Required 3: Large Village
Cost 1 Development Point

As soon as you start the game, Natural Disasters are active. As you progress and gain more development points, natural disasters become a more present threat. To save your citizens, unlocking the Small Emergency Shelter is essential. This node is available in the Fire & Rescue Tree. You can unlock this node by spending just one development point.

Unlocking this will ensure the safety of your citizens against any unexpected calamities. Securing your population can stabilize the city and prevent widespread panic during emergencies.

4. Firewatch Tower

skylines 2 best development trees
Firewatch Tower [Capture By Me]
Development Tree Fire & Rescue
Milestone Required 3: Large Village
Cost 1 Development Point

Fire hazards can significantly hinder your city’s growth, even if a fire breaks out in the forest. You can tackle them at first with fire stations, but I recommend you invest in the Firewatch Tower. Firewatch Tower prevents fires from showing up or has a faster response time to put the fire out. If the fire is out in the forest, far from the city, your services will eventually take care of it.

But if the fire is in the city, it can be dangerous. You can unlock the Firewatch Tower for just one development point in the Fire & Rescue Tree. 

5. Advanced Road Services

skylines 2 best development trees
Advanced Road Services [Shot By Me]
Development Tree Roads
Milestone Required N/A
Cost 1 Development Point

Your citizens need better roads to travel inside the city. For this, you can unlock Advanced Road Services. Advanced Road Services gives you a lot of things, such as Traffic Lights, Pedestrian Crossings, Turning Lanes, Street Lights, and more.

You can even beautify your streets with grass and tree-lined roads. Roundabouts are also there to unlock, but I suggest unlocking Advanced Road Services. Advanced Road Services fine-tune your road network and provide smooth traffic flow. You can unlock Advanced Road Services in Roads Tree for one development point.

6. Welfare Office

skylines 2 best development trees
Welfare Office [Capture By Me]
Development Tree Police & Administration
Milestone Required 3: Large Village
Cost 1 Development Point

Unemployment and low income can lead to social issues and crimes in your city. Even if you add more commercial and industrial zones, some citizens will still have a low income or no job. To cover this up, I recommend building a Welfare Office. The Welfare Office helps the low-income population and helps in reducing crimes.

It is very important to reduce city crime and maintain overall happiness. Neglecting the welfare of the citizens can lead to criminal activities. You can unlock the Welfare Office in the Basic Police & Administration Tree for just one development point.

7. Tram

skylines 2 best development trees
Tram [Image By Me]
Development Tree Transportation
Milestone Required 4: Grand Village
Cost 2 Development Points

An efficient public transport system is essential as your city expands. The Tram system for transportation system is the best choice. As you advance in the game, things will become more expensive. You’ll need to generate income. Tram not only enhances your city’s transportation network but also generates revenue. Citizens appreciate the convenience and efficiency of Trams. Providing a better Tram system for the citizens will maintain the citizens’ happiness. You can find Tram in the Transportation Tree and unlock it at the price of two development points.

8. Solar Power Plant

skylines 2 best development trees
Solar Power Plant [Shot By Me]
Development Tree Electricity
Milestone Required N/A
Cost 4 Development Points

You might want to expand the electricity service when your city vastly expands. You can do this by adding Solar Power Plants. These plants can be unlocked in the Electricity Tree with 4 development points. You can keep adding Gas or Coal Power Plants, which will increase pollution and affect your citizens, lowering happiness.

I suggest you save some development points and invest in the Solar Power Plant. This will provide clean energy for your citizens, maintaining their happiness.

Best Development Tree In Cities Skylines 2 – My Opinion

skylines 2 best development trees
In-game Screenshot [Capture By Me]
Playing Cities Skylines 2, I have found the order mentioned above for the Development Tree Unlocks a strategic approach to city management. Prioritizing healthcare, safety measures, and public transportation resonates with my vision of creating a thriving and well-protected metropolis. This guide offers a balanced and practical strategy for achieving a successful, happy, and sustainable virtual city in Cities Skylines 2.

This is all regarding the Cities Skylines 2 Best Development Tree Unlocks. While you are at it, check out Irfan Ansari’s guide on the Best Starting Maps In Cities Skylines 2.

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Haddi is a Senior Writer at eXputer who loves to play games and talk about them like a fanatic. Hadi's years of experience in this industry let him provide a unique and critical perspective on games to share with his audience. His work is also featured on several other websites. You can hit him up on his gaming profile at Steam!

Experience: 5+ years || Previously Worked At Gamepur, Gear Siege, GearNuke

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