That's how you can tell I was addicted to Simcity as a child (in my case, the Pay-to-win version that EA released [Simcity Buildit, I think it's called])
The random pattern is part of the game. This game hits beneath the surface both in the physical sense (as in a city underground), as well as the metaphorical sense (with economics being considered "beneath the surface" when it comes to city building). Of course, the player has some control. Once you get to 15 hamsters, you can decide how much to spend on housing and utilities, with these sliders: 
If you don't like your city layout, you can always delete buildings (what gets rebuilt is random though, so it might take a bit of luck). Zoning might also come if I decide to pursue this game after the jam :)