Cybergeo (Jan 2003)
From households to urban structures: space representations as engine of dynamics in multi-agent simulations
Abstract
The major idea of this paper is to simulate the construction of a segregate urban structure by means of spatial representations. To maintain such a project, the model must be quite simple because we wish to simulate and understand processes of production of space, their temporality and their dynamic influence on individual learning of space, rather than to reproduce a real situation. Furthermore, this work is included in a research project of UMR 6012, which aims to do a spatial analysis centred on the analysis of processes in a context of weak quantification. We use a multi-agent system in order to implement complex process: a spatial structure at macro level emerging from simple rules established at micro level and a feedback from macro to micro level. A model is constructed as following: Simulated households wander through the multi-agent universe to find the best place of residence according to constraints as their incomes or the prestige of places. They learn about this space by practice and, consecutively, construct varied representations that are going to participate in the construction of a collective representation of space. These two types of representation will contribute to help each household agent to find the best residential choice. Then, these choices will modify the characteristics of spaces and the new spatial structures will compel household agents in their practices of space, their individual representations and their choices. This feedback based on spatial representations contributes to a great extent to the construction of segregate urban forms.
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