Supporting agile modeling through experimentation in an integrated urban simulation framework

  • Authors:
  • Travis Kriplean;Alan Borning;Paul Waddell;Christoffer Klang;James Fogarty

  • Affiliations:
  • University of Washington;University of Washington;University of California Berkeley;KTH, Stockholm;University of Washington

  • Venue:
  • Proceedings of the 11th Annual International Digital Government Research Conference on Public Administration Online: Challenges and Opportunities
  • Year:
  • 2010

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Abstract

Decisions regarding major urban transportation projects and land use policies are frequently political and controversial, as well as having significant economic, social, and environmental consequences. UrbanSim is a disaggregate, behaviorally-realistic modeling environment that planning agencies can use to simulate the long-term effects of such decisions. We describe UrbanSim's evolution over the past decade from the perspective of supporting its appropriation by urban modelers, and identify support for experimentation as a key property that enables the adoption of an agile modeling methodology. Finally, we draw out three lessons for supporting agile modeling through experimentation: iterative development of models, providing appropriate domain-specific building blocks, and balancing the development of integrated tools versus interoperating with existing tools and the work practices that surround them.