Before we get started i would like to say that this is my approach to breaking down and rebuilding an environment, there are many ways of doing this and this is by no means a guide or how to make something like this. In this post I will go over my process from gathering reference, blocking out, lighting and creating a basic material to get the general feeling for the scene before any major modelling begins. 

As with all projects they all begin with an idea, but the idea is only as good as the research put into it. To start off with this project i looked at everything from New York alley ways and have slowly progressed to more of a southern European feeling scene. Small condensed buildings in tight quarters with paths and streets large enough for the exact traffic flow they need with no more or less space. Then narrowing down my search field further to specific objects, foliage and architecture. 

Once i was happy with the general idea i progressed to the block-out stages of my project. This stage helps to define the general aesthetic of the scene and helps to narrow down an asset list. Using primitive shapes I was able to quickly build a small environment and figure out all the major pieces that are necessary for the environment to be a whole, this of course doesn't cover every asset in detail and there are going to be some that get missed. This is why research is important and looking at reference throughout the creation of the scene will help bring realism to it. Another part to the block-out stage is to help define the silhouette and points of interest with breaks of flat, large shapes with smaller shapes breaking up the surface.