When can improvements be safely sold?

[godot]

I know I've seen threads about selling improvements, but maybe some of you deities can succinctly elucidate when specific improvements can be sold safely.

Thanks.

[Marquis de Sodaq]

The easiest answer is when you build or capture a wonder that makes them obsolete. E.g. you capture the pyramids, sell all your granaries - unless you don't expect to be able to defend your new wonder, of course. Also, be aware that some wonders themselves go obsolete - don't sell all your city walls after capturing the Great Wall, as you might have to rebuild them later.

When to sell improvements not affected by a wonder is not as clear cut. As always, it depends on the game circumstances. If your city is not going to be able to grow anymore, you don't need an acqueduct...

[rah]

Any improvement (not including wonders) can be sold.
If you pay attention, they don't even have a negative impact.

I.E
Once your city is to the maximum size, (choice or resource limitation) Sell aquaduct and sewer.

Once you've started developing Future Techs, and not interested in the slight increase in score.
Sell libraries and Universities.

Once you've built Shake's Theater.
Sell happiness improvements. (unless you're collecting on them in fundy)

If you build the war academy.
Sell your barracks in cities not likely to be attacked before the next tech will sell them anyway. (i.e. Gunpowder)

Once you've built Pyramids.
Sell all your Graneries.

There are many more examples.
And I'm sure people will take the time to list them for you.

If the city is going to be captured,
Sell the most expensive improvement. (or the city wall if you plan on trying to take it back soon)

If you're trying to starve one of your cities to disband it.
Sell an improvement every turn.

RAH

Just remember, you can only sell one a turn.

[Gothmog]

To be specific

Pyramids: granary
Michelangelo's Chapel: cathedral
Women's Suffrage: police station
Hoover Dam: any type of power plant
SETI Program: research lab
Shakespeare's Theatre: temple, colosseum, cathedral in that city only

[Ming]

Good recap Rah... but I'm surprised you didn't mention one of your favorite times to sell an improvement...

If you're just short of cash to buy/build a key wonder, think of those city improvements as just another source of revenue. I'll disband units in the wonder building city, sell improvements anywhere, even if I still need them. In MP games, that one turn can sometimes make a big difference

[Scouse Gits]

Also - it is safe to sell (at least in the Wonder city) the turn before the wonder is built - hence having pushed the last caravan into, say, Shake's - you can now sell the colosseum - the red faces that appear are never counted ...

[East Street Trader]

If you build a solar plant you can sell a re-cycling centre. Although I find that at this stage I am usually cash rich and scientifically advanced enough to go straight to solar plant without having had time to build the re-cycling centre.