From theory to modelling: urban systems as complex systems

Abstract

The question of complexity and its increasing application to social sciences is challenging the modelling of spatial systems. New concepts and new methods have been proposed and invite to reformulate classical modelling frames. This approach demands to open a better-informed dialogue between the disciplines which supply models and tools and those where the existing knowledge is reformulated inside this new frame. Creating an « artificial geography » is not straightforward. It is rather easy to translate urban theories within the paradigm of complex systems, but their modelling, for instance by using multi-agent systems, still raises many conceptual and practical difficulties. We underline here some problems in defining significant urban entities and exploring the evolution of their spatial relationships over time. We briefly present which options have been selected for developing the SIMPOP2 model which is conceived to simulate the evolution of systems of cities over long periods of time.

Keywords

• complexity
• emerging structure
• self-organization
• urban system
• space-time convergence
• multi-agent system