GLA Economics CASE Award

The project uses ideas from complexity theory (e.g. emergence and positive feedback) to explore urban issues in the wider context of the problems facing a world city such as London. 

Two separate urban issues are being explored: that of segregation (both residential and business) and secondly that of firm and residential interaction in the form of a bid rent style model.  These are being exploited through the development of a number of spatial simulation models utilising and extending the Repast agent based modelling toolkit.

The models are used to represent dynamic processes of change within the urban environment at different geographical scales where global patterns emerge from the local interactions of individual agents. At the same time these models could easily be extended to study these issues in greater detail and to test different scenarios. 

The use of GIS data within the models gives access to basic data for setting initial model conditions and parameters. All of which can lead to a greater understanding of how cities work by providing a generic tool to experiment with.

Working along side GLA economics, Andrew has become acquainted with the kinds of problems that the GLA are concerned with. 

Some of the work carried out thus far includes: data analysis about Women in the London Economy.  Exploring the relationship between population, employment and accessibility in London and how this relationship is affected by different scales of geography and location.

People

• Andrew Crooks

Key facts

• Short Title: GLA Economics CASE Award
• Sponsored by: GLA Economics & ESRC
• Start date: 22/09/2003
• End date: 21/09/2005