Tips for dealing squalor

[Valder]

I guess I shot myself in the foot here, but I went with Medieval 2 route by "rushing" population in my key cities to get the best walls and buildings etc.
Unfortunatly now I get massive public order penalties for squalor thx to the huge population. Is there a chance to deal with this squalor problem? Is extermination of the city only choice or does it affect squalor by recruiting huge ammount units and disbanning them in a another region

[hoonii]

Academy-Temples etc. can reduce squalor. Take very high- high taxes. Train many soldiers(or peasants due to its low price and high number.) That will help you.

[HazardHawk]

In markets, build the grain exchange and the market and progress no further. You can also avoid building sewers to allow disease and limit population growth. When all else fails, remove the army, allow them to rebel, take it back and slaughter the population...lol

[CHE]

I never exterminate. 

Here is how I keep cities happy:

I select huge unit size before I start a campaign. (I choose Normal campaign difficulty - keeping people happy is difficult enough on this level.)

I recruit units in cities where the people are becoming unhappy (this keeps population down, which results in a happier population).

I bring town watch type units to guard newly conquered cities.

In cities with happiness problems, I build every building that reduces squalor, increases happiness and educates family members in that city (e.g. academies).

I nurture particular characters to keep problem cities happy, transferring appropriate followers/retinue (who increase happiness, sanitation, health and management) from other characters to these special governors. I use these expert governors to govern large, newly conquered cities.

I change a problem city into the new capital, or move the capital close to the problem cities.

When I conquer a city that has happiness problems, I immediately hire mercenaries and train new units with high numbers of soldiers per unit (especially cheap town watch types) in that city, which reduces population (more because the units are huge size), and keeps people happy (higher numbers of soldiers makes for more happiness - unit strength seems irrelevant). This way, my conquering army (or some of it) is freed up from garrison duties, and can fight battles outside the city.

If the city is still unhappy, or if I don't want to keep the local temple for troop-training reasons, then I destroy foreign temples (and other buildings that increase local culture), and replace them with my own temples (and other buildings).

Playing this way, I have experienced very few riots (in 1-3 cities, perhaps?) - and I don't think they ever kicked my army out of a city - I stopped the riots in 1 or 2 turns, if I remember correctly. I don't mind that - makes the game interesting.

[Valder]

Nice, thanks for tips. While extermination is like easiest option, its quite immersive breaking when you exterminate your capital, unless your faction leader is insane