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Spatial Microsimulation

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Handbook of Regional Science

Abstract

Spatial microsimulation is an excellent option to create estimated populations at a range of spatial scales where data may be otherwise unavailable. In this chapter, we outline three common methods of spatial microsimulation, identifying the relative strengths and weaknesses of each approach. We conclude with a worked example using deterministic reweighting to estimate tobacco smoking prevalence by neighborhood in London, UK. This illustrates how spatial microsimulation may be used to estimate not only populations but also behaviors and how this information may then be used to predict the outcomes of policy change at the local level.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by the ESRC funded grant “Modeling Individual Consumer Behavior” (RES-061-25-0030) and MRC Population Health Scientist Fellowship (G0802447). The modeling framework used was developed by Kirk Harland.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK

    Dr. Alison J. Heppenstall

  2. Queen Mary University, London, UK

    Dr. Dianna M. Smith

Authors
  1. Dr. Alison J. Heppenstall
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  2. Dr. Dianna M. Smith
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alison J. Heppenstall .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Economic Geography and GIScience, Vienna University of Economics and Business, Vienna, Austria

    Manfred M. Fischer

  2. and Business Administration Department of Spatial Economics, Free University Faculty of Economics, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Peter Nijkamp

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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Heppenstall, A.J., Smith, D.M. (2014). Spatial Microsimulation. In: Fischer, M., Nijkamp, P. (eds) Handbook of Regional Science. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-23430-9_65

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-23430-9_65

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-23429-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-23430-9

  • eBook Packages: Business and Economics

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