This paper describes the model developments of a micro simulation approach that models firm population dynamics in integrated land use and transport models. The model simulates firm demographic events and transitions in the state of individual firms: firm migration, growth, formation and dissolution. This provides the opportunity to account for firm specific behavior, allowing a large variety in responses to changes in urban environment. The model quantifies the effects of different spatial and transport planning scenarios on the firm population and mobility. Moreover, the firm level simulation output provides improved possibilities to evaluate the impact of spatial scenarios. It can be linked to an urban transport model in order to obtain a dynamic simulation of urban development and mobility. The model specification is presented, as well as the calibration of the individual firm demographic events. The behavior of the calibrated model is verified with multiple test runs. (Author/publisher)
Abstract