If you don't mind video format, I like this person's guide. He also has a 2nd video with essential mods for "advanced" players.

https://youtu.be/Nr8Wlib4jqE

He also has some fun youtube series' where he builds up a region by following a "story" he makes up (or sometimes uses viewer polls). So rather than building a super optimized city, it gets a very natural layout as he pretends to play out rivalries between developers, mayoral or policy changes, etc.