An easy-to-use spatial simulation for urban planning in smaller municipalities. (September 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mueller, Christian; Klein, Ulrike; Hof, Angela
• Is Part Of: Computers, environment and urban systems. Volume 71(2018)
• Page Start: 109
• Page End: 119
• Publication Date: 2018-09
• Subjects: Spatial simulation -- System dynamics -- Hybrid modeling -- Urban planning -- Spatial attractiveness -- Gamification; City planning -- Data processing -- Periodicals; Regional planning -- Data processing -- Periodicals; 303.4834
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2018.05.002
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0198-9715

Abstract

Abstract: In order to produce precise outcomes, most spatial simulations require great volumes of data input, intensive data preparation or programming skills. Consequently, high quality spatial simulations are usually not applied in practice in municipalities of smaller size (<25, 000 citizens). This study aims to provide an easy-to-use tool for smaller urban administrations. A web application was developed which requires a minimum of manual user input for automated data preparation. Gamified elements aim to encourage the user to experience the underlying mechanisms of the system under alternating planning scenarios. These mechanisms are modelled as a combination of spatially implicit and explicit rules which can be derived from dependencies in the data itself. Spatial attractiveness was modelled as a function of accessibility of facilities, ground value, soil sealing, traffic intensity and noise pollution in a multi-variate spatial autoregressive regression analysis. A case study for the city center of Herdecke (Germany) revealed that the establishment of a new event location in the northern part of the study area was most appropriate for increasing spatial attractiveness. The presented easy-to-use tool is suitable for practical application in everyday administrative processes of smaller municipalities and thereby contributes to more applied sustainable urban planning. Graphical abstract: Unlabelled Image Highlights: Spatial simulation of urban systems (SimUSys) combines the gamification, agent-based and system dynamics modeling approaches Spatial attractiveness, i.e. the self-perceived well-being of citizens, is measured and used as the main benchmark in SimUSys Game rules can automatically be derived from the data itself and modified manually be the user without technical knowledge Automated data integration allows for a minimum of data preparation and therefore a high usability SimUSys can be used to identify the most influential facilities within the urban system and their most suitable locations