Simulating Regional Systems: A System Dynamics Approach

Colin Lee

Chapter 10 in Regional Science: Perspectives for the Future, 1997, pp 144-165 from Palgrave Macmillan

Abstract: Abstract The use of quantitative models to develop understanding, prepare forecasts and explore policy options in the context of urban and regional development remains a popular activity, although rather more so in the academic community than in the planning profession. However, the history of the application of formal models to policy problems does not produce great confidence. Objective evaluation of the use of models in policy-making is complicated by the fact that, as a former colleague once said, computer models are like children: most people tend to like their own better than others’, some look a lot better than they behave, and when they are bad they are horrid! This chapter starts from the perspective that computer modelling, simulation and policy analysis promise to realize their greatest potential when they are combined with understanding and application of the concept of feedback. It discusses a particular approach to the modelling and simulation of systems that is based on this concept, and which appears to have much to offer, both to the academic investigator and to the practising professional. System dynamics is a methodology for creating models or representations of real-world systems, in order to study their behaviour with a view to controlling or improving system behaviour. The system dynamics approach has been summarized as ‘observing and identifying problematic behaviour of a system over time and creating a valid diagrammatic representation (or model) of the system, capable of reproducing (by computer simulation) the existing system behaviour and of facilitating the design of improved system behaviour’ (Wolstenholme (1990) p. 2).

Keywords: Desalinate Water; System Dynamic Approach; Spatial Disaggregation; Income Sector; System Dynamics Project (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1997
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pal:palchp:978-1-349-25514-6_10

Ordering information: This item can be ordered from
http://www.palgrave.com/9781349255146

DOI: 10.1007/978-1-349-25514-6_10

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in Palgrave Macmillan Books from Palgrave Macmillan
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().