Agent-based modelling for urban sprawl in the region of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

Agent-based modelling (ABM) is a form of simulation that is phenomenal in understanding and exploring various types of spatial and non-spatial problems. The goal of this research is to study agent-based modeling in an urban context. ArcGIS was used to develop cost raster. In the second part, NetLogo was used to create agents for the purpose of stochastic simulation of urban sprawl in Waterloo Region. The cost rasters were generated using the Cost Distance Tool in ArcGIS with two inputs: source raster and time raster. The simulating model in NetLogo was created using three raster layers: proximity to University of Waterloo campus, proximity to grocery stores and proximity to the LRT stops. The use of ABM has helped in understanding the urban dynamics and to model the settlement pattern of students in Waterloo region.