Kind of funny how they make the yellow lines turn corners for no reason. If they just connected the zones, it would be pretty linear.
A lot of that is just the load screens making the city seem bigger than it actually is.
I'm pretty sure the yellow lines turn corners to reduce the image size.
But the value of a town doesn't come from its square footage. It comes from their
function, both as a narrative mechanic and as a game mechanic. As I explained, as a game mechanic, towns exist to break up the action and give you a place to recollect thoughts, items, plotlines and yes
buy stuff. As a narrative mechanic, it defines humanity's anchor in a strange universe. Nearly person and thing in Besaid serves a vital function in introducing the player to Spira.
Why does the Crusader's lodge happen to be located
there, as opposed to some other town 10 hours into the game? Because the player needs to be introduced to the Crusaders as soon as possible. Not because the Crusaders ever do anything important in the plot itself, but they are there to show firsthand the futility of humanity's fight against Sin to tell the player the scope of the threat. We don't have to read about the Crusaders in a codex, we meet them firsthand.
Wakka's house is there, to justify introducing Wakka to you at the start of the game. He acts as a direct guide for Tidus (and the player), AND gives a human face to the bigoted attitudes that exist against the Al Behd. We don't have to read about popular prejudices under a codex entry titled "Spira Culture", we get to see them acted out in front of us.
Besaid is home of the Cloister of Trials to justify having Yuna there. Yuna and her entourage are there not just to give us more party members, but to teach us about summoners and the pilgrimage and define our ultimate goal. We don't have to read about these topics in a codex,
we see them firsthand.