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Explicit Modeling of Spatial Growth Patterns in Shama, Ghana: an Agent-Based Approach

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Abstract

The integration of geographic information systems (GIS) and agent-based models (ABMs) can be an efficient tool to improve spatial planning practices. This paper utilizes GIS and ABM approaches to simulate spatial growth patterns of settlement structures in Shama. A preliminary household survey on residential location decision-making choice served as the behavioural rule for the household agent while physical environment properties extracted from a 2005 image provided the inputs for the model. The resulting growth pattern model implemented in NetLogo was compared with empirical growth patterns to ascertain model accuracy. The paper establishes that the development of unplanned structures and its evolving structural pattern is a function of land price, proximity to economic centres, household economic status, and location decision-making patterns. The application of the proposed model underlines its potential for integration into urban planning policies and practices and for extending the understanding of residential decision-making processes in emerging cities in developing countries.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to give credit to Eric Russel (NetLogo Leader) and Julie Schlinder whose comments improved earlier versions of this manuscript. Further, we wish to thank the Department of Geography and Regional Planning (University of Cape Coast, Ghana) for providing the spatial data for the design of SISGM’s model environment. We also thank the Town and Country Planning Department of Shama District Assembly, for assisting and participating in the design and administration of the survey.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Development Research (ZEF) University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany

    Justice Nana Inkoom

  2. Department of Geography & Regional Planning, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana

    Benjamin Kofi Nyarko & Kwabena Barima Antwi

Authors
  1. Justice Nana Inkoom
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  2. Benjamin Kofi Nyarko
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  3. Kwabena Barima Antwi
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Correspondence to Benjamin Kofi Nyarko.

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This paper has not been submitted or published in any journal.

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This work is a self-sponsored research work.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

The data were collected in 2010 at the time the University did not have an institutional review board, hence no ethical clearance was sort. Also, most of the data used in this work are public and are available for use without approval.

Informed consent

Informed consent was sort during the interviews.

Appendices

Appendix 1

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figure 14

SISGM conceptual framework. Adapted from Odunuga (2009)

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Appendix 2

Fig. 15
figure 15

Composite graph output after 72nd tick (year 6)

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Inkoom, J.N., Nyarko, B.K. & Antwi, K.B. Explicit Modeling of Spatial Growth Patterns in Shama, Ghana: an Agent-Based Approach. J geovis spat anal 1, 7 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41651-017-0006-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41651-017-0006-2

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