It might be useful to review what sort of government you envision is managing the town. Some towns are created because a government needs a town near a resource, and they directly control how it is developed. That might reflect simcity and similar games.
Other towns are groups of people that have moved to an area, usually because some resource is present or because the location is good for whatever reason. Those groups of people control how the town develops. No longer can you just plop down an Industrial zone smack dab in the middle of a Residential zone. Oh no, first you have to convince people that that Industrial zone is needed, weather the complaints of those living in the Residential zone, and only if enough support the Industrial zone after that can you build it. The future of city simulators might be in reflecting this second idea, maybe with named people ala Crusader Kings, The Sims, etc. that are also simulated and can be influenced for the permission to do things. It could even touch upon the seedier side of city development: Will the town allow a strip club to move in? What can be done to stop it? Where do the bars go?
Time frame could also be important, as it reflects transportation which reflects how cities grow and shrink. It used to be that water was the primary means of transportation, especially in bulk, so most cities have developed near water. Then the railroads came and water wasn't as necessary: Suddenly, the loss of land due to water could even be a liability. Then trucks, then planes. OpenTTD reflects this side of city development.