Design and construction of a subregional land use model

Abstract

This paper describes the process of designing and constructing land use models for subregional planning. Several conceptual ideas concerned with the purpose and form of such models are first introduced, and these set the context for a description of a land use model designed for the Nottinghamshire—Derbyshire subregion, an area in central England. As this model has its origins in Lowry's Model of Metropolis, Lowry's model, and various developments of this model in North America and Britain are briefly discussed. A modification of this model is then proposed, and a method for calibrating such a model is outlined. The design of the zoning and information systems necessary to the model, and the various issues involved in defining the model's variables show how the model has been adapted to the Nottinghamshire—Derbyshire subregion. The results of calibrating the model are then presented and evaluation of these results leads to proposals for redesign and further research into the model's structure.