Methods: Introduction

Abstract

This section deals with methodology. Two papers were presented which illustrate systems techniques applied to urban problems. The ALLEN paper is an excellent example of dynamic computer modelling of the growth and decay of a small region of the Ardennes area in southern Belgium. He shows the agreement between this computer model and physical reality. This should give urban designers confidence that when properly used by skilled analysts, such computer simulation is a powerful tool with predictive capabilities. This paper does not test the approach at the intraurban scale nor consider the effects of non-economic variables.