Hi all!
I'm starting work on a map of a city location within my Argent Sea setting, and I thought I'd be a goody and document my process from the very beginning. Hopefully it'll serve as inspiration for those in search of a workflow, and help me get a better handle on my own. Let's begin!

Early on when I created my renaissance-inspired setting I knew I wanted an analog for Venice, Italy. Combining the wonder of everything that makes Venice fascinating with the strange arcane wonders of a fantasy setting seemed too good to pass up. I found a spot on my map where such a city could exist, and named it Provisa.

When the initial map was finished I wrote short descriptions of most of the cities and ports named on it. Provisa was as follows:
A city of craftspeople, culture, and great wealth. It is navigated by a network of canals instead of streets. This island city has endured many sieges through the centuries, but has transitioned to mostly a pleasure destination within the Solian empire.
Later on I needed to pick a city within the setting to flesh out more, and I decided on Provisa. With the intent of running a few short RPG sessions there, I wrote an expanded description breaking the city into discrete areas:
The City of Provisa
Isle of the Doge
>Palace of the Serene - This is the state palace of the doge (elected ruler) of Provisa. A vast complex of several connected buildings, the Palace houses various offices and government institutions in addition to being the doge’s private residence.
>College of the Open Eye - The largest and most distinguished university of magical study in the Portolan Empire, this institution is run privately by a number of wealthy patrons. Despite an enormous endowment only around 100 students are in attendance at any given time.
>The Imperial War College - The institution responsible for training the most elite military officers of the Portolan Empire. Acceptance to this college requires either distinguished service in an allied military or terrific wealth and influence. Despite its stated function, it also serves as the premier college of engineering in the region for those so inclined.
>University Argentum - A college for the would-be financiers of the world, as well as those aristocratic heirs too squeamish or delinquent for the military or the Solian priesthood.
>Schola of the Fortunate Faith - A prestigious school for the Solian clergy adjoining the East Cathedral
>Twin Cathedrals - Two grand cathedrals of the Church of Sole facing one another across a grand square. When one noble promised to match another’s generosity, the first raised the funds for a cathedral on the island. Not to be outdone, the first noble kept his promise and built a second.
>Banks of Provisa - The humming financial center of the Solian empire, and the true reason so many aristocratic institutions have found their home on the island.
Isle of the Ambassadors
>Canal of Crystal - This canal is filled with the many famed glassworks of the city, creating any number of incredible pieces both magical and mundane from beautiful crystal.
>Hostel district - An entire neighborhood of rest houses for the many important visitors to the city.
>The Embassies - The namesakes of the island, over a dozen embassies sit in a neighborhood of less than four square blocks.
>Barracks of the Holy Guard - An imposing fort towering over the rest of the island is home to the Provisan Cardinal’s personal army.
Outside the Wall
>The Garden District - Some of the wealthiest citizens of Provisa have built sprawling mansions on artificial islands in a rough approximation of a neighborhood. Armed guards and subtly included iron fences keep the unwanted away from their lavish parties.
>The Docks - A stinking, sweating hive of activity catering to the many needs of the hungry island city through massive daily imports of food and goods. Here and there between the working ships are the elegant yachts kept by various nobility and wealthy merchants.
>The Old Saint’s Free House - A large boarding house catering to sailors. This building abuts the city wall, and some say for a price the matron can get goods and people in and out without passing by the carefully monitored gates.
>Isle of Mourning - A mostly dry island home to several tightly-packed cemeteries and a rather unpleasant slum. The far end of the island is also a dump for the city’s trash barges.
With a rough idea of what I needed geographically to fit my concept for the city, I got to work making a few extremely scribbly sketches of landforms to get an idea of how the city is laid out spatially, like this one:
Click image for larger version. 

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That's it for Part 1, stay tuned as I start to cement the general shape of the city before moving on to specific areas.
Thanks for reading!