Agent-based activity/travel microsimulation: What's next?

Abstract

This chapter briefly summarizes and reviews the current generation of operational activity/tour-based model systems. These model systems are developed to varying degrees within an agent-based microsimulation (ABM) framework. ABM provides an extremely flexible, powerful, and efficient means for modelling complex spatial-temporal, socio-economic behaviour such as travel. A high-level definition of microsimulation in general and agent-based microsimulation in particular is presented. Overall, currently operational activity/travel model systems represent a sound "first generation" of such methods, but they are far from realizing the full potential of the ABM concept. A wide range of issues and challenges in advancing the ABM-based activity/travel modelling state of the art are discussed, leading to a few suggestions for key "next steps" in model development.