Exploring the polycentric city with an agent-based model

Rémi Lemoy (1, 2) , Charles Raux (1, 2) , Pablo Jensen (1, 2, 3)

1 LET - Laboratoire d'économie des transports
2 IXXI - Institut Rhône-Alpin des systèmes complexes
3 Phys-ENS - Laboratoire de Physique de l'ENS Lyon

We present an agent-based model grounded in the Alonso, Muth, Mills (AMM) framework, using microeconomic interactions between heterogeneous agents and able to reach the equilibrium in a dynamic way. This model is shown to reproduce the equilibrium of the AMM model. An illustration is given with two income groups. Two job centers at various distances from each other are introduced. Economic, social and environmental outcomes of these various polycentric spatial structures are studied. Then two-worker households whose partners may work in different job centers are introduced. Regarding welfare we find that polycentrism is desirable, as long as centers are not moved too far apart from each other. The environmental outcome is also positive for small values of this distance but this positive effect is mitigated by the fact that housing surfaces increase.

Mots clés: agent-based model; urban economics; location choice; polycentric city; two-worker households

Domaines: Economies et finances

Rémi Lemoy, Charles Raux, Pablo Jensen. Exploring the polycentric city with an agent-based model. 2012. ⟨hal-00602087v2⟩