Lot assignment

Lot assignments control the number and types of Sims that visit a lot in The Sims 3 and its expansion packs. They can also cause moodlets to appear, boosting moods or skill building. Every lot in the game has an assignment. Assignments can be set for a unique world using the Create a World tool, they are preset in premade neighborhoods, but can be changed using Edit Town. Rabbit holes also change lot assignments. Some assignments are locked for use in-game, or can only be used in certain sub-neighborhoods. Many lot types are hidden in-game, but can be unlocked by  which enables some Create a World and hidden lot types. Lot assignments were reintroduced in The Sims 4.

Residential
Residential is one of the two primary lot categories. Sims can live on residential lots.

Assignments in the residential category

 * Apartment lot (Home world only)
 * Non-Player Sims Only lot (Adventure destination only)
 * Ownable lot (Adventure destination and future world only)
 * Private lot (CAW only)
 * Regular lot

Community
Community is one of the two primary lot categories. Community lots serve a variety of purposes.

Assignments in the community category

 * Base game
 * Art gallery
 * Beach
 * Big park
 * Fishing spot
 * Graveyard
 * Library
 * Gym
 * No visitors allowed (unassigned, NPCs will not visit unless invited)
 * Pool
 * Small park
 * Visitors allowed (unassigned, NPCs will visit)


 * World Adventures
 * Academy
 * Base camp (Adventure destination only)
 * Chinese garden
 * Hidden tomb (Hidden/CAW)
 * Landmark tomb (Adventure destination only)
 * Market (Adventure destination only)
 * Nectary
 * Small market (Adventure destination only)


 * Ambitions
 * Consignment store
 * Fire station
 * Hangout
 * Junkyard
 * Junkyard with no visitors
 * Laundromat
 * Salon


 * Late Night
 * Dance club
 * Disco club
 * Dive bar
 * Exclusive lounge
 * Fusion lounge
 * Local watering hole
 * Poolside club
 * Sports bar
 * Vampire lounge


 * Pets
 * Cat jungle
 * Dog park
 * Equestrian center
 * Horse ranch
 * Pet store (requires Pet Shop register object)
 * Dive Bar Criminal (Hidden)


 * Showtime
 * Big show venue
 * Coffeehouse
 * Live show venue
 * Private venue


 * Supernatural
 * Elixir consignment store
 * Supernatural hangout


 * Seasons
 * Festival grounds


 * University Life
 * Arcade
 * Java hut
 * Dormitory (University world only)
 * Fraternity (University world only)
 * Group science park (University world only)
 * Nerd shop
 * Rebel hangout
 * Sorority (University world only)
 * Student union
 * University hangout


 * Island Paradise
 * Diving area (Hidden/CAW)
 * Port
 * Resort


 * Into the Future
 * Base camp (Future world only)
 * Bot emporium
 * Business park
 * Cafeteria
 * Dried up beach
 * Future lounge
 * Gallery shop
 * Plumbot competition arena
 * Recreational park (Future world only)
 * Wasteland

Assignments set by rabbit holes
These lot types are available in CAW but they are only assigned to the rabbit holes.
 * Big shop (used by Supermarket rabbit hole)
 * Day Spa
 * City Hall
 * Criminal Hideout (used by Abandoned warehouse rabbit hole)
 * Hospital
 * Military base
 * Police Station (used by Police department rabbit hole)
 * Restaurant (used by the Diner and Bistro rabbit hole)
 * Science lab
 * Small shop (use by Bookstore rabbit hole)
 * Stadium
 * Theater
 * Equestrian center
 * Arboretum
 * Gypsy wagon
 * Mausoleum
 * Vault of Antiquity
 * Stellar observatory
 * ZEPHYR stop

Map Tags
Map tags in The Sims 3 are clickable, interactive buttons that spring up from the birds-eye view when in Map View. Map tags can relate to a variety of lots and sims. Map tags also generate for opportunities and adventures. Community lot tags are a deep blue color. A lighter blue tag represents a player's selected sim's place of work (exception with professions and certain careers). Lighter, cyan colored tags usually represent a specified rabbit hole, specifically places a sim may work. A green tag represents the player's household he is currently playing. If there is a PlumbBob above the map tag, a player's selected sim is at that current location (for example if the sims is in the theatre it will show a plumbob above the theatre tag). Bright, vibrant tags represent opportunites involving opportunites, professions (see The Sims 3: Ambitions), or actions that are not particularlly related to game play such as Neighborhood Pet Adoption (see The Sims 3: Pets). Less bright orange tags represent another sims' dwelling. These map tags only appear when a player's selected sim has met a sim of the household. Red tags represent commercial areas such as schools, bistros, diners, subways (see The Sims 3: Late Night), jails, and grocery stores. Enabling the  cheat will make the map tags flash colorfully when viewed from the map view.

The Sims 4
In the The Sims 4, there are only nine lot types. Once again, certain lot types require certain objects to function properly.
 * Residential
 * Bar
 * Generic
 * Gym
 * Library
 * Lounge
 * Museum
 * Nightclub
 * Park