Issues and techniques in spatial economic system modelling

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Transportation engineers and planners develop and use forecasts of transportation demand in the design and analysis of transportation infrastructure and related transportation policy. This proposed research seeks to improve the mathematical models of spatial economic systems that can be used in such forecasting, enhancing the representation of the transport, land use, economic and environment components and their interactions. It concerns the nature of the actual behaviour of these components and the development of mathematical models representing this behaviour. The more specific intentions are to: - develop a better understanding of the behavioural processes involved, drawing on work in economics, geography and psychology; - identify model forms and approaches and related computational processes that improve the fidelity and policy responsiveness of such models; - identify processes in the development and calibration of such models that will help improve the results; and - eventually, bring about more wide-spread use of these models in practice. Currently, spatial economic models are used in only a relatively few locations and contexts - but the extent of use is starting to increase, in part as a result of the work done by the proposer. If the anticipated improvements help make these models better and thereby bring about increased use of these models in Canada and around the world, then there could be dramatic improvements in the manner that agencies take into account land use, transport, the economy and the environment in their planning, which ultimately has the potential to alter our entire quality of life for the better.