Urban modelling by means of cellular automata: generalised urban automata with the help on-line (AUGH) model

In this paper the possibility of using cellular automata (CA) to build and test urban development models is explored. The AUGH project, which aims to construct a generic software environment for building urban automata, is also described. After careful evaluation it is concluded that CA, and other techniques from within the artificial worlds paradigm, are especially useful for representing those socioeconomic and urban development phenomena which are shaped by individual choices and decisions.