Agent Behaviour Issues Arising with Urban System Micro-Simulation

Abstract

A large co-ordinated program of work is underway exploring techniques for integrated land use transport modelling, including elements of agent-based micro-simulation. The intention is to demonstrate the practical viability of these techniques and help provide guidance in their further development and use in policy analysis considering transport policy and the impacts of transport on society. This has given rise to a number of questions about the nature of the behaviour of the agents being considered (including people, households, business establishments and developers) and about potential methods for implementing practical representations of this behaviour. This paper describes the modelling system and techniques being considered, and sets out some of the questions about behaviour and its representation that have arisen together with some of the more promising ideas and approaches being considered for addressing these questions.