Self Organization of Surface Transportation Networks

David Levinson and Bhanu Yerra

No 200603, Working Papers from University of Minnesota: Nexus Research Group

Abstract: This research investigates the self-organization of surface transportation networks. Using a travel demand model coupled with revenue, cost, and investment models, experiments are run under a variety of parameters on a grid network. It is found that roads, contiguous sections of multiple links operating with similar characteristics, and hierarchies of roads emerge under a broad range of assumptions from networks with neither defined roads nor clearly organized hierarchies. The factors which drive this are the (dis)economies of scale, the presence of boundaries, and any initial asymmetry in the network. This research thus finds that roads and hierarchies, which are often thought to be the product of conscious design, can also arise without such intention.

Keywords: Self-organization; network growth; network evolution; transportation planning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D10 D83 D85 O33 R40 R42 R48 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2006
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-net
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (20)

Published in Transportation Science Vol. 40 No. 2 May 2006 pp. 179-188

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http://hdl.handle.net/11299/179941 First version, 2007 (application/pdf)

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Journal Article: Self-Organization of Surface Transportation Networks (2006)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nex:wpaper:selforganization

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