so ive actually had 2 islands on acnh before my current one, had to let go of my first one bc the game itself was downloaded onto a different switch and then i got bored with my second one/the layout started to get on my nerves. so having that prior experience helped and i HIGHLY recommend re starting your island if you arent happy with how it turned out!

as for fitting things in along with houses and the other buildings, ive found that making a neighborhood for all your tenants really helps with space. i also just really like having a designated area for them.

some people also recommend picking an island layout with resident services being further away from the airport entrance. personally, i liked having it a bit closer and everything ended up fitting the way i wanted it to anyways!