Suchergebnisse

The primary objective of this paper is to "make the case" for adoption of microsimulation frameworks for development of integrated urban models. Similar to the case of activity-based travel models, microsimulation in integrated urban models enables such models to deal better with: heterogeneity and non-linearity in behavior; identification of the detailed spatial and socioeconomic distribution of impacts, benefits and costs; tracing complex interactions across agents and over time; providing support for modelling memory, learning and adaptation among agents; computational efficiency; and emergent behavior. The paper discusses strengths, weaknesses and challenges in microsimulating urban regions, including the extent to which microsimulation models are still subject to Lee's famous "seven sins of large-scale modelling," as well as the extent to which they may help alleviate or reduce these sins in operational models. The paper concludes with a very brief discussion of future prospects for such models.

Integrated urban models (IUMs) (aka, integrated transport/land-use models) have been developed and (sometimes) applied for more than 50 years, dating back to the early 1960s. IUMs have been criticized over this same period on both practical and theoretical grounds. At the same time, continuing and very significant technological developments have made possible the development, implementation and use of such models in operational planning settings in various countries worldwide. A major review of the IUM state of the art and recommendations for evolution of this state were prepared by the author and colleagues 20 years ago. This paper presents an update of the 1998 report in terms of a summary of progress over the past 20 years, a critical assessment of the current IUM state of the art and practice, and needs and prospects for future development. This paper argues that the current modeling state is in "the doldrums," similar to concerns raised by Pas in the seminal 1990 critique of activity-based travel models. It then outlines research and development needs to exploit current and emerging data, computing, and methodological developments that hold promise for the development of a much more powerful and useful "next generation" of IUMs.

Much of the current debate over African-American reparations is characterized by a posture of confrontation and demand, and is exemplified in the law by seeking redress using the doctrines of tort and unjust enrichment. This confrontational posture presents a variety of legal, political. and ethical problems for reparations advocates, and has alienated potential allies from the reparations movement. This Article examines and exposes the confrontation model's shortcomings, proposing as an alternative a "conversational" model for reparations debate and advocacy. The conversational framework is not only a superior litigation strategy that more closely approximates traditional civil rights litigation, it also embraces the complexity of the current debate on race, permitting the nation to engage in a more inclusive discussion of the future of race in America.