fix(citygen): robustness found by the extended seed sweep

- arterials merge onto existing roads and keep distance otherwise
- isolated strata components get a drop-in public connector
- blockless districts fall back to the largest clean rectangle
- sliver districts merge into neighbours (district count is a maximum)
- dressing removes blocking features that cut tiles off the street

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5.1 <noreply@anthropic.com>

crates/citygen/src/generate/arterials.rs

@@ -62,17 +62,24 @@ fn plan_edges(centers: &[Pos], extra: usize) -> Vec<(Pos, Pos)> {
 }
 
 impl ArterialsStage {
+    /// Routes one arterial. Existing arterial tiles are cheap so roads merge instead of
+    /// running in parallel; tiles beside an arterial are dear so new roads keep their
+    /// distance; water is crossable at bridge cost.
     fn route(&self, ctx: &GenCtx, a: Pos, b: Pos) -> Option<Vec<Pos>> {
         let land = &ctx.scratch.land;
         let arterial = &ctx.scratch.arterial;
-        astar(ctx.size(), a, b, |_, to| {
+        let size = ctx.size();
+        astar(size, a, b, |_, to| {
             if !land[to] {
-                Some(40)
+                return Some(40);
-            } else if arterial[to] {
-                Some(10)
-            } else {
-                Some(11)
             }
+            if arterial[to] {
+                return Some(2);
+            }
+            let near = Rect::new(to.x - 3, to.y - 3, 7, 7)
+                .iter()
+                .any(|q| size.contains(q) && arterial[q]);
+            Some(if near { 16 } else { 10 })
         })
     }
 

crates/citygen/src/generate/connectivity.rs

@@ -188,6 +188,12 @@ fn repair_stratum(city: &mut City, k: StratumKind, reach: &Grid<bool>) {
                 }
             }
             None => {
+                if drop_in_connector(city, k, &comp) {
+                    for p in &comp {
+                        reached.set(*p, true);
+                    }
+                    continue;
+                }
                 let in_building = comp
                     .iter()
                     .any(|p| city.tile(k, *p).is_some_and(|t| t.building.is_some()));
@@ -204,6 +210,49 @@ fn repair_stratum(city: &mut City, k: StratumKind, reach: &Grid<bool>) {
     }
 }
 
+/// Gives an isolated component its own public connector from the street directly below
+/// (or, for rooftops, a ladder from a walkway directly below). Returns true on success.
+fn drop_in_connector(city: &mut City, k: StratumKind, comp: &[Pos]) -> bool {
+    let street_ok = |city: &City, p: Pos| {
+        city.tile(StratumKind::Street, p).is_some_and(|t| {
+            t.feature.is_none()
+                && matches!(
+                    t.terrain,
+                    Terrain::Sidewalk | Terrain::Alley | Terrain::Plaza | Terrain::Road
+                )
+        }) && city.connectors_at(p).next().is_none()
+    };
+    let spot = comp.iter().copied().find(|p| {
+        city.tile(k, *p)
+            .is_some_and(|t| t.feature.is_none() && !t.is_connector())
+            && match k {
+                StratumKind::Heights => {
+                    city.walkable(StratumKind::Skyways, *p)
+                        && city.connectors_at(*p).next().is_none()
+                }
+                _ => street_ok(city, *p),
+            }
+    });
+    let Some(pos) = spot else { return false };
+    let (kind, serves) = match k {
+        StratumKind::Undercity => (
+            ConnectorKind::Manhole,
+            vec![StratumKind::Undercity, StratumKind::Street],
+        ),
+        StratumKind::Skyways => (
+            ConnectorKind::Stair,
+            vec![StratumKind::Street, StratumKind::Skyways],
+        ),
+        StratumKind::Heights => (
+            ConnectorKind::Ladder,
+            vec![StratumKind::Skyways, StratumKind::Heights],
+        ),
+        _ => return false,
+    };
+    ConnectivityStage::add_connector(city, kind, pos, serves);
+    true
+}
+
 impl ConnectivityStage {
     fn has_public(city: &City, d: usize, target: StratumKind) -> bool {
         let id = city.districts[d].id;

crates/citygen/src/generate/districts.rs

@@ -133,7 +133,60 @@ impl DistrictsStage {
             .collect()
     }
 
+    /// Assigns every land tile to its nearest seed on all physical strata.
+    fn assign_all(&self, ctx: &mut GenCtx) {
+        let size = ctx.size();
+        for y in 0..size.h as i32 {
+            for x in 0..size.w as i32 {
+                let p = Pos::new(x, y);
+                if !ctx.is_land(p) {
+                    continue;
+                }
+                let d = self.nearest_seed(p);
+                for k in StratumKind::PHYSICAL {
+                    if let Some(t) = ctx.city.tile_mut(k, p) {
+                        t.district = Some(d);
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Merges districts too small to hold a block into their neighbours, keeping at least
+    /// the minimum district count. Returns true if anything changed.
+    fn merge_slivers(&mut self, ctx: &mut GenCtx) -> bool {
+        let land = ctx.scratch.land.count(|&l| l);
+        let mut merged = false;
+        loop {
+            let n = self.seeds.len();
+            if n <= 4 {
+                break;
+            }
+            let min_tiles = (600usize).max(land / (3 * n));
+            let st = ctx.city.stratum(StratumKind::Street).expect("street");
+            let mut counts = vec![0usize; n];
+            for (_, t) in st.tiles.iter() {
+                if let Some(d) = t.district {
+                    counts[d.index()] += 1;
+                }
+            }
+            let Some((smallest, _)) = counts
+                .iter()
+                .enumerate()
+                .filter(|(_, c)| **c < min_tiles)
+                .min_by_key(|(_, c)| **c)
+            else {
+                break;
+            };
+            self.seeds.remove(smallest);
+            self.assign_all(ctx);
+            merged = true;
+        }
+        merged
+    }
+
     fn finalize(&mut self, ctx: &mut GenCtx) {
+        self.merge_slivers(ctx);
         let n = self.seeds.len();
         let size = ctx.size();
         let noise = self.noise.as_ref().expect("begin sets noise");
@@ -274,7 +327,13 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     fn every_land_tile_has_a_district_and_counts_match() {
         let c = small(5, WaterMode::Bay, 6);
-        assert_eq!(c.districts.len(), 6);
+        // The requested count is a maximum: slivers merge into neighbours.
+        assert!(
+            (4..=6).contains(&c.districts.len()),
+            "{}",
+            c.districts.len()
+        );
+        let n = c.districts.len();
         let st = c.stratum(StratumKind::Street).unwrap();
         for (_, t) in st.tiles.iter() {
             if t.terrain != Terrain::Water {
@@ -285,7 +344,7 @@ mod tests {
         }
         let mut ids: Vec<_> = c.districts.iter().map(|d| d.id).collect();
         ids.dedup();
-        assert_eq!(ids.len(), 6);
+        assert_eq!(ids.len(), n);
         for (i, d) in c.districts.iter().enumerate() {
             assert_eq!(d.id.index(), i);
             assert!(d.bounds.contains(d.center));

crates/citygen/src/generate/dressing.rs

@@ -1,11 +1,12 @@
 //! Stage 9: features, light maps and per-tile variants.
 
 use super::{GenCtx, Stage, StageRunner, StepOut};
+use crate::generate::connectivity::reachable_from_street;
 use crate::geom::{Pos, Rect};
 use crate::params::GenError;
 use crate::pathing::components;
 use crate::rng::{chance, tile_hash};
-use crate::tile::{Feature, Terrain};
+use crate::tile::{Feature, Terrain, Tile};
 use crate::world::{StratumKind, Theme};
 use rand::seq::IndexedRandom;
 use rand_chacha::ChaCha8Rng;
@@ -14,6 +15,7 @@ use std::collections::VecDeque;
 enum Work {
     Facade(usize),
     Streets(usize),
+    Verify,
     Lights(StratumKind),
     Variants(StratumKind),
 }
@@ -238,6 +240,39 @@ impl DressingStage {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Blocking features must never cut tiles off from the street: any blocker beside an
+    /// unreached walkable tile is removed, repeatedly, until nothing is cut off.
+    fn verify(ctx: &mut GenCtx) {
+        for _ in 0..6 {
+            let reach = reachable_from_street(&ctx.city);
+            let mut to_clear: Vec<(StratumKind, Pos)> = Vec::new();
+            for k in StratumKind::PHYSICAL {
+                let st = ctx.city.stratum(k).expect("stratum");
+                for (p, t) in st.tiles.iter() {
+                    if !t.is_walkable() || reach[k.index()][p] {
+                        continue;
+                    }
+                    for n in p.neighbors4() {
+                        let blocker = st.tiles.get(n).is_some_and(|u| {
+                            u.feature.is_some()
+                                && !u.is_walkable()
+                                && Tile::new(u.terrain).is_walkable()
+                        });
+                        if blocker {
+                            to_clear.push((k, n));
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+            if to_clear.is_empty() {
+                return;
+            }
+            for (k, p) in to_clear {
+                ctx.set_feature(k, p, None);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     fn lights(ctx: &mut GenCtx, k: StratumKind) {
         let size = ctx.size();
         let base = base_light(k);
@@ -286,6 +321,7 @@ impl StageRunner for DressingStage {
             .extend((0..ctx.city.buildings.len()).map(Work::Facade));
         self.queue
             .extend((0..ctx.city.districts.len()).map(Work::Streets));
+        self.queue.push_back(Work::Verify);
         self.queue
             .extend(StratumKind::PHYSICAL.into_iter().map(Work::Lights));
         self.queue
@@ -301,6 +337,7 @@ impl StageRunner for DressingStage {
         match work {
             Work::Facade(i) => self.facade(ctx, i),
             Work::Streets(d) => self.streets(ctx, d),
+            Work::Verify => Self::verify(ctx),
             Work::Lights(k) => Self::lights(ctx, k),
             Work::Variants(k) => Self::variants(ctx, k),
         }

crates/citygen/src/generate/streets.rs

@@ -368,6 +368,36 @@ impl Carver<'_> {
         None
     }
 
+    /// Greedy largest clean rectangle in the district bounds (at least 5x4), for districts
+    /// whose street style produced no usable block.
+    fn largest_clean_rect(&self) -> Option<Rect> {
+        let b = self.bounds;
+        let mut best: Option<Rect> = None;
+        for start in b.iter() {
+            if self.is_bad(start) {
+                continue;
+            }
+            let mut w = 0;
+            while start.x + w < b.right() && w < 40 && !self.is_bad(Pos::new(start.x + w, start.y))
+            {
+                w += 1;
+            }
+            let mut h = 1;
+            while start.y + h < b.bottom() && h < 24 {
+                let row_clean = (0..w).all(|dx| !self.is_bad(Pos::new(start.x + dx, start.y + h)));
+                if !row_clean {
+                    break;
+                }
+                h += 1;
+            }
+            let r = Rect::new(start.x, start.y, w, h);
+            if r.w >= 5 && r.h >= 4 && best.is_none_or(|o| r.area() > o.area()) {
+                best = Some(r);
+            }
+        }
+        best
+    }
+
     /// Turns one candidate into clean blocks: trims dead edges, and when the rest is still
     /// dirty, splits it along the longer axis (painting an alley on the cut) and recurses.
     fn fit_blocks(&mut self, r: Rect, depth: u8, out: &mut Vec<Rect>) {
@@ -459,6 +489,14 @@ impl StreetsStage {
                 });
             }
         }
+        if blocks.is_empty()
+            && let Some(rect) = carver.largest_clean_rect()
+        {
+            blocks.push(Block {
+                rect,
+                district: district.id,
+            });
+        }
         // Every block gets a walkable ring so each perimeter lot can open a door.
         for b in &blocks {
             for p in b.rect.grow(1).border() {