The use of Modelling in the Planning Process

Abstract

The record of useful application of models in urban and regional planning does not look very impressive if judged from recent literature. The rather spectacular failures of some large scale urban models are featured in review articles and some harsh statements have been made: They are established without a single successful demonstration, they are tried everywhere and they do not work anywhere. They require theory that no one has and data no one can get. All claim to enhance societal learning, but none contain operative mechanisms for benefiting from their own mistakes (13.1).