When you’re building a LEGO city in a small space, the key to success is finding sets that fit well together without overwhelming the area. Fortunately, LEGO offers a wide range of sets designed with space efficiency in mind. From versatile multi-functional builds to compact yet detailed structures, these sets are perfect for maximising your space while still creating a bustling and vibrant LEGO city. Here’s a list of the top five space-saving LEGO sets that will help you build a compact city with style.

1. Creator 3-in-1 Sets: Versatility and Compact Design

The LEGO Creator 3-in-1 sets are a fantastic option for anyone working with limited space. These sets offer multiple building options in one, allowing you to create different designs using the same set of pieces. This versatility makes them perfect for a compact city, as you can easily switch between various builds to keep your city fresh and dynamic. Plus, you will normally have additional bricks left over that can help you with your next build.

• Why they’re great: These sets typically feature buildings, vehicles, or landscapes that are compact in size but full of details. Their flexibility means you can make the most of your available space by adapting the builds to fit different corners or areas of your city. I find the 3-in-1’s are a nice middle ground for details between the modular series and the city theme.
• Example sets: The Creator 3-in-1 Townhouse or Creator 3-in-1 Pirate Ship are perfect for building urban or nautical features within a small footprint, offering a lot of variety without taking up much space.

2. Modular Buildings: Compact Yet Detailed Structures

LEGO modular buildings are renowned for their incredible detail and design, but did you know they also work well in small spaces? These sets are designed to interlock with each other, so you can create a full city layout with a compact and organised look. Despite their intricate details, modular buildings are cleverly designed to use vertical space, saving you horizontal space.

• Why they’re great: Each modular building is stacked and designed to maximise the use of limited area while still looking vibrant and realistic. These sets allow you to create a detailed city with streets, businesses, and homes—perfect for a space-efficient LEGO city.
• Tip: Don’t try and purchase retired sets unless you win to lottery. Stick to currently available sets and grow your city over time. If you particularly want an older modular consider a website like brinklink to purchase the pieces, depending on the set this could save you a significant amount of money.

3. Vehicles and Accessories: Small Sets That Add Life to Your City

No LEGO city is complete without vehicles and accessories to bring it to life. Thankfully, LEGO offers a variety of smaller sets that can add personality and motion to your city without taking up too much space. From cars and trucks to buses and trains, these compact builds are ideal for making your city feel alive without crowding your shelves.

• Why they’re great: These small sets can be strategically placed in and around your city layout to add interest without overwhelming the space. They’re also a great way to introduce movement and interaction within a smaller city.
• Example sets: Any emergency services vehicle works great. I also like unique pieces like the bathtub stunt bike (60333)

4. LEGO Ideas Sets: Innovative Designs for Small Spaces

LEGO Ideas sets often come with unique, creative designs that are both compact and imaginative. These sets are designed by fans and brought to life by LEGO, offering a range of buildings, vehicles, and themes that can fit easily into smaller spaces. Many LEGO Ideas sets feature intricate details and miniatures that are perfect for compact city designs. The main drawback to idea sets is that many of them are a licensed set (i.e. Friends, Home Alone) which sees a high price point on these sets.

• Why they’re great: LEGO Ideas sets tend to be one-off, specialised builds, which makes them perfect for adding unique features to your city without taking up too much room. They’re often full of character, so they add personality to your compact layout.
• Example sets: The LEGO Ideas Friends Central Perk (Check out the modular version on rebrickable) is a highly detailed, space-efficient sets that would fit perfectly in a compact LEGO city.

What I chose to do

At this stage, Brick Lake City consists of a series of modular buildings with some custom additions. I’ve been fortunate to build and collect LEGO sets for over 10 years, gradually assembling a good variety of buildings. I also managed to score a couple of modulars at very reasonable prices through Facebook Marketplace. This has brought my collection to 13 modular buildings, with space for 10–12 on a single shelf, allowing me to create a diverse and complete-looking city.

It didn’t start this way, though. I began with just two modular buildings, complementing them with smaller City sets as my budget didn’t allow for too many large sets at the time. I added one modular building each year as they were released. While I’m still missing some iconic sets, like the Palace Cinema and the Grand Emporium, that’s okay—LEGO continues to release fantastic new options most years.

Final Thoughts

Building a LEGO city in a small space doesn’t have to limit your creativity. By choosing the right space-saving sets, you can create a detailed, dynamic city that feels just as vibrant as a larger one. Whether you opt for versatile 3-in-1 Creator sets, detailed modular buildings, or unique ideas sets, there’s no shortage of options for creating a compact city that still captures all the fun and imagination of LEGO building. So, grab your bricks, plan your layout, and get building—your dream LEGO city is just around the corner!