No, there is no such thing as a single "best" Cityville layout. In fact, there are many and any of them can be used to conquer the game and reach level 60 (or whatever it is now) as soon as possible. Most share many of the same elements so, below, I have listed these core strategies that can be found in most, if not all, of the best Cityville layouts. Incorporate these elements into your own city and you will end up with something that approximates the best Cityville layout.
Decorations
That's right, decorations. Many newbies don't realise that you are supposed to use decorations to boost the yield of your businesses and homes. I only mention this in passing in case you didn't already know. They can boost your yield by up to 250% and sometimes even more. One good way is to use a grid of Arboretums. Arrange them in a four by four square but leave enough space to connect a sidewalk from the outside and for a business in the middle. Fill in the gaps with flowers. You can get a huge boost with this method.
Use Sidewalks Instead Of Roads
Sidewalks take up less space compared to roads which means that you can either build more buildings or you can place decorations in the saved space which means that you boost the yield of adjacent properties. Even if you have already expanded all over with roads, I suggest you dig them up and replace them with sidewalks and rearrange your buildings. It will be worth it. Nearly every level 60 city has sidewalks all over it and few roads.
Make sure that your sidewalks all connect to a road segment so that your citizens can get around the entire city. The best way to do this is to leave the original main road intact and extend it and bulldoze any other road sections. Then create sidewalks that run perpendicular to the road to give a kind of grid structure to your city.
Expand Towards The Sea As Soon As Possible
If you are not ignoring the goals/quests and getting through them as you build your city, make sure that you expand towards the sea because by the time you reach it you should be able to (or soon) build a pier which will transform your capabilities in the game.
Source: eZine
