Planning Models

Planning is a massive field, and the types and variations of models used are enormous. This volume, therefore, makes no pretence to cover all the various forms of models that are used across the entire gambit of planning applications. It focuses very much on the types of mathematical models that have been developed by social scientists in their efforts to explain, in particular, spatial location patterns. We feeel that it is preferable to systematically treat an area of modelling in a particular context rather than pursue a shot-gun approach embracing a a number of planning applications which would mean the pellets spreading across a large area without any real penetration at any point. It is not, however, only the need for focus that has drawn us to this particular domain. First, modelling in this arena draws upon a variety of disciplines, makes us of a diversity of techniques, and elements of it have been widely used in decision-making rather than just metaphorically sitting in academics curriculum vitae. Second, and related to the first point, the field of study requires consideration of a wide range of constraints in the development of models; there are often data constraints, the need to embrace qualitative factors, the need to simulate various scenarios, the importance of making model predictions comprehensible to policy makers, etc.