What I would like to have, since I usually prefer building around Lyubinsk itself:
a) a southbound Connection (Road/Rail/Power) maybe south of Soiuz
b) some more Gravel/Rock deposits around Lyubinsk or the Center of the Map. Right now your only option is to raze Lyubinsk Dockyards and place your quarries there if you dont want to go into the mountains

a.) I'll probably add a small custom house and a foreign power connection since it would probably be enough, also because the southern mountains doesn't have much people there. :)
b.) Rocks on flat plains wouldn't really look nice, especially when building over them. I will however increase the rock formations over mountains and hilly terrain so that everyone can get gravel easier.

Gravel would work fine as a shoreline for the central lake or the rivers. Just like you did at the Dockyards :)

just wondering if anyone has experience playing the populated version on hard mode/cosmonaut mode? to me it seems very difficult to keep 26,000 people happy at start with only 1,000,000 RUB... but i would love to see if it works