INTEGRATION OF AGENT-BASED MODELIING AND GIS FOR URBAN SIMULATION

Urban simulation has remained an interesting research topic for many years. Issues like urban growth, congestion and segregation demand advanced modeling approaches. Numerous approaches and modeling techniques have been applied and they all have their own advantages and deficiencies. While aggregative modeling techniques have been criticized by researchers for their serious lacks for such a modeling, individual-based modeling techniques have received special attention lately. Among these models, agent-based modeling is considered to have outstanding superiorities. Agent-based modeling provides a better understanding of the structure and processes of urban systems. Integration of this modeling technique with GIS will enhance their potential for urban simulation purposes dramatically. This paper reviews the applications of agent-based modeling in urban simulation, and then depicts the necessity of integrating this modeling approach with GIS and reports current state and prospect of this integration.

Keywords:

Agent-based modeling , GIS , integration , urban simulation