You don’t need an entire room to build a LEGO city. A realistic beginner city can fit comfortably in 120 × 60 cm (4 × 2 ft), giving you enough space for several buildings, roads, vehicles and landscaping. If you eventually want modular buildings, trains and multiple neighbourhoods, aim for 180 × 120 cm (6 × 4 ft) or more. The key isn’t starting with a huge space—it’s choosing a layout that allows your city to grow without rebuilding everything later.

How Much Space Do You Really Need?

One of the biggest misconceptions about LEGO cities is that they require an entire spare room.

They don’t.

Some fantastic cities fit on a bookshelf, while others cover garages or dedicated hobby rooms. The amount of space you need depends on what you want your city to become over the next few years—not just the sets you own today.

For most beginners, it’s better to start with a manageable layout and expand gradually than to build something too large to maintain.

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Why Planning Your Space Matters

A LEGO city isn’t just a collection of buildings.

Real cities need room for people, transport and public spaces.

Without planning ahead, it’s surprisingly easy to run out of room for:

• Roads
• Pavements
• Parks
• Railway lines
• Bus stops
• Rivers or canals
• Car parks
• Town squares
• Future buildings

This is why experienced builders often leave empty spaces intentionally. Those empty areas eventually become some of the most interesting parts of the city.

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Five Common LEGO City Sizes

1. Micro Display

Approximate size: One 32×32 baseplate

Ideal if you:

• Live in a flat or small bedroom
• Want to display a favourite building
• Are unsure whether you’ll enjoy building a city

Typical contents:

• One building
• Short road section
• One or two vehicles
• Basic landscaping

Expansion potential: ★☆☆☆☆

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2. Starter City

Approximate size: 120 × 60 cm (4 × 2 ft)

This is the size Brick Squared recommends for most beginners.

You’ll comfortably fit:

• 2–4 buildings
• A simple road network
• Pavements
• Trees
• Small park
• Several vehicles

It already feels like a real town rather than a few sets sitting next to each other.

Expansion potential: ★★★☆☆

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3. Growing City

Approximate size: 180 × 120 cm (6 × 4 ft)

This is where your city begins to develop real character.

Typical features include:

• 6–10 buildings
• Multiple intersections
• Dedicated commercial areas
• Residential streets
• Bus stops
• Larger parks
• Railway line or tram
• Water feature

You’ll also have room to begin separating different districts, making the city feel much more realistic.

Expansion potential: ★★★★☆

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4. Dedicated LEGO Room

If LEGO becomes your main hobby, a spare room provides enormous flexibility.

Benefits include:

• Permanent setup
• Easier photography
• Lighting installation
• Continuous expansion
• Comfortable building sessions
• Dedicated storage

This isn’t essential, but it makes long-term city building much easier.

Expansion potential: ★★★★★

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5. Exhibition-Scale City

The enormous displays you see at LEGO shows often occupy:

• Dozens of baseplates
• Multiple tables
• Hundreds of buildings
• Thousands of minifigures

These layouts are usually built over many years by experienced hobbyists or collaborative groups.

Don’t compare your first city to one that’s taken a decade to create.

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Plan Using Baseplates, Not Room Measurements

One of the simplest ways to plan your city is to think in baseplates rather than metres.

Layout	Approximate footprint	Good for
2 × 2 baseplates	Compact display	First city
3 × 3 baseplates	Small town	Most beginners
4 × 4 baseplates	Growing city	Long-term project
5 × 6+ baseplates	Large layout	Experienced builders

Thinking in baseplates makes expansion much easier because every future section simply adds another module.

This approach also works particularly well if you later decide to build using MILS.

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Always Leave Space to Expand

A common beginner instinct is to fill every available space with buildings.

Resist the temptation.

Leaving empty areas allows you to add:

• Parks
• Seasonal displays
• Construction sites
• New roads
• Railway stations
• Public squares
• Extra landscaping

Those spaces help your city feel realistic while giving you flexibility as your collection grows.

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Where Should You Build Your LEGO City?

Desk

Best for:

• Small layouts
• Students
• Flats
• First projects

Advantages

• No additional furniture required
• Easy to access
• Good lighting

Limitations

• Limited expansion
• May need clearing for work or study

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Shelf or Bookcase

Ideal for display-focused builders.

Advantages

• Excellent use of vertical space
• Keeps the city safely out of the way
• Looks great as a display

Limitations

• Restricted depth
• Difficult to include wide roads or trains

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Dedicated Table

For many hobbyists, this is the ideal solution.

Advantages

• Permanent layout
• Comfortable working height
• Easy to expand
• Better access from multiple sides

An inexpensive workbench or second-hand dining table often works just as well as specialist hobby furniture.

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Spare Room

If you’re fortunate enough to have one, a spare room offers:

• Large layouts
• Better organisation
• Permanent photography setup
• Plenty of storage
• Room for trains

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Garage or Loft

Suitable for very large cities, provided you can control:

• Dust
• Moisture
• Extreme temperatures
• Lighting

If the space becomes damp or excessively hot during summer, it’s worth improving the environment before moving your collection there.

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Don’t Forget Building Space

Many beginners only think about where the city will sit.

You also need somewhere to:

• Build new sets
• Sort loose bricks
• Read instructions
• Store tools
• Keep spare parts organised

Having a separate building area means you won’t constantly move sections of your city just to assemble your next model.

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Can You Build a Great LEGO City in a Small Space?

Absolutely.

Some of the most impressive LEGO cities are surprisingly compact because every element has been carefully planned.

Instead of trying to include everything, focus on creating one believable area.

Examples include:

• A busy town centre
• A residential street
• A harbour
• An industrial estate
• A railway station district

A small city with thoughtful spacing nearly always looks better than a huge city where every building is squeezed together.

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Required Parts & Tools

You don’t need much before planning your layout:

• Graph paper or a planning app
• Tape measure
• Baseplates (or dimensions if using MILS later)
• Masking tape (to mark layouts on the floor or table)
• Notebook for expansion ideas

Optional but useful:

• Plastic storage drawers
• Sorting trays
• Adjustable desk lamp
• Folding work table

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Brick Squared Tip

Before buying your next building, place an empty baseplate where you think it might go.

Leave it there for a few days.

If it makes the city feel cramped, you’ve probably discovered you need more roads or green space—not another building.

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Common Mistake

Planning only for today’s collection.

Many beginners create a layout that’s completely full after just a few purchases, forcing them to dismantle large sections every time they buy something new.

Leave expansion routes from the beginning, even if they remain empty for months.

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Budget Builder

More space doesn’t have to mean spending more money.

Instead of buying additional tables immediately:

• Start with a smaller layout.
• Build in modules that can be moved later.
• Use inexpensive folding tables or second-hand furniture.
• Add new sections only when you’ve filled the existing ones.

Spending £50 on better storage often improves the hobby more than spending the same amount on another set.

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Before You Buy

Ask yourself these five questions before buying another large set:

1. Where will it go?
2. How will people reach it?
3. Does it connect naturally to your roads?
4. Will it leave room for future expansion?
5. Will it improve your city or simply make it busier?

If you’re unsure, it’s usually worth waiting until you have a clear plan.

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Inspiration

Some of the most realistic LEGO cities don’t try to recreate an entire metropolis.

Instead, they focus on one area done exceptionally well.

You might build:

• A European-style high street
• A quiet suburban neighbourhood
• A coastal harbour
• A busy station district
• A countryside village

Each can grow naturally into a larger city over time.

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